The big little things
by shola
Summary: Hermione and Harry can only seem to suffer this year, can Ron and Ginny offer any kind of relief? r&r pls! Complete!!
1. The summer after

A/N:As I'm sure you know the drill by now, I own nothing, that darling genius of a woman owns all of it, the characters, the setting, the whole basic idea.runs off crying  
  
I have to warn you, this is my first fic, please be gentle.  
  
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"Stu-pid-Krum. Thinks-he's-so-great. I'll-show-him!" With each syllable Ron Weasley punched his already battered pillow. "How-come-every-one-likes-him-so-much?!" That was the question that had been playing on his mind since the previous June. Or, more to the point why did Hermione like him so much? "He's just so stupid and clumsy and stupid and-and-and-he's-just-urgh!! I mean he can't even pronounce her name right!!!"  
  
And then Ron heard that ever present and yet ever annoying voice coming from the very back of is head. The voice that was only annoying because it spoke the truth. And this occasion was no different.  
  
:Why should you care?: "Because-because-cos-cos-sh-she could do better. Yeah, way better. Why be with him when she could be with-" :With?: "S-someone that makes her happy" :Well she seemed pretty happy with him if you ask me.: "Well I didn't!!!! And you can just-" :Look stop being so stroppy and put your happy face on, they'll be here soon: "Fine! Just so long as she doesn't mention her darling Vicky." :There's a good chap: "Don't call me that!!" :Let's not have this argument again: "If I want to argue then I-" "Ron! They're here!"  
  
His mother's voice carrying up to his bedroom cut Ron's conversation with himself short. Vowing to take up the argument with his inner self again later, Ron bounded down the stairs of his home to welcome his two best friends.  
  
Upon seeing the tousled black head of the famous Harry Potter, Ron jumped the last three stairs and commenced their own 'manly' form of greeting. This involved a large amount of back slapping in a very unique sort of hug. When they were both completely satisfied with sufficiently stinging backs, Ron swallowed any angry words or questions he had and turned to Hermione, smiling and ready to give her a similar though perhaps more gentle and distanced greeting.  
  
But as soon as he saw her face he stopped. She was smiling at Mrs Weasley chattering away rapidly about her holidays her parents and various other things. She looked to every other person present as if she was in high spirits, 'in top form' as Harry Had put it just a moment ago. But Ron felt that her lips looked as if they were being forced painfully into that smile, and the smile didn't reach her eyes the way it usually did, they didn't have that sparkle that came whenever she was happy. Now they were dull and in them Ron was sure that he could see in them some far off look of pain.  
  
Hermione turned to him, smiling that same slightly pained smile and said in an overly brisk manner, "Hello Ron! I hope you did that extra work on Charms over the past month, I'm certain that we'll need it in the coming year!" She said no more and walked past him, carrying her bag to Ginny's room.  
  
"Like I said, top form!" declared Harry jerking Ron back from his thoughts, "C'mon I have got to show you this new technique I've been working on for the new Quiddich season. It works okay in theory and I've been itching to try it out." "Right, let's see it then!" Ron followed Harry out to the garden dismissing his suspicions about Hermione as his imagination. "If Harry didn't notice anything, I'm sure there's nothing wrong. He knows her just as well as I do." :Hmmm. : 


	2. What happened to her

Ron lay in bed recounting the day's events. As soon as he and Harry had entered the back garden of the Burrow Fred and George had just about leaped out of their bedroom window to challenge the two friends to, what they termed 'a severe arse kicking'. It turned out that Harry's new manoeuvre did, in fact work only in theory. So as a result the twins' words rang true. Ron's metaphorical 'arse' was still stinging.  
  
Engaging in various quidditch related activities had made the day pass quite quickly. Ron had almost forgotten his concern over Hermione. That is, until that evening.  
  
They had been sitting in the Weasley's front room after dinner. Ron, sitting a little apart from everyone else in the room had been surveying everyone, an activity he greatly enjoyed. His mother was sitting in the corner knitting and humming a nonsense tune to herself. Harry, the twins, Percy and Mr Weasley were engaging in a heated argument concerning which was the most promising team to come up from the Quidditch 1st division to play in the league next season. Ginny was sitting across the room, admiring Harry's charms from afar, answering any questions directed at her with a dreamy "hmmmm." Sitting beside her was Hermione. As Ron laid eyes on her, all of his concerns from that morning came rushing back to him. Her face was very white and her lips had become very red. Her chin and mouth had become fixed in a very unnatural way. She spoke in a voice that did not seem like her own. She excused herself, saying she was exhausted from the journey that morning and was heading up to bed.  
  
"That's certainly a good idea dear," said Mrs Weasley kindly, "Why, you're white in the face with tiredness!"  
  
"There's something wrong, I know it" Ron thought to himself.  
  
Suddenly, he realised that his throat was parched. It seemed to be screaming "Water! For God's sake man!" Heeding the call Ron got up tried in vain to tame his hair that was standing, literally, on end and tiptoed downstairs.  
  
" 'hat's better" he whispered to himself after quenching his thirst. He was just about to turn and leave the kitchen when he saw a shadowy figure standing by the garden fence. Going to the back door he was sure that he could hear sobs, muffled but sobs all the same.  
  
As if sensing his presence, Hermione swung around. In the moonlight Ron could clearly see her tearstained cheeks and eyes red from crying. At that moment he felt the uncontrollable urge to throw hi arms around her and never let go. But all he could manage was a strangled "What's wrong?"  
  
"He doesn't want me." she whispered "What?" Ron didn't understand. "Vicktor, he-he doesn't want me-" Hermione Broke into another fit of sobs, fresh tears coming at the thought of her cruel rejection.  
  
"Shhhh, it's okay 'Mione, it's okay shhhh." Before he knew what he was doing Ron was beside her, wiping away her tears and holding her hands tight in his.  
  
"I-I went to visit him, you know that right?" Ron nodded. "He was so kind Ron. He was so sweet and attentive, just like last year in school. He made me feel.special, like-like I belonged.with him." Hermione's eyes ha glazed over, and even though her gaze was directed at Ron she couldn't see him, she was reliving those moments. When he touched her arm; when he held her hand; when he kissed her in that beautiful garden; when he.  
  
"But he wanted something back for all of those things. He said he wanted.me. He said he wanted to-to 'have'.me. Those were his words. And I couldn't, Ron, I just couldn't! I wasn't able, and he didn't understand, he was meant to understand, I tried to make him understand, but I couldn't explain it and he got mad and-and-and-" Hermione began to speak faster and faster her voice rising higher and higher.  
  
"Shhhh, 'Mione, honey it's okay I understand" Her head was resting on Ron's shoulder. He could feel her tears on his neck.  
  
"He said it didn't mean anything if I didn't do those.things. He said what we had wasn't real if I didn't. He didn't want me to stay if I didn't."  
  
"Did you.?"  
  
"No.no I didn't. I should have."  
  
"No don't say that!"  
  
" I should have! If I had then I wouldn't feel like this! It's so terrible Ron. I feel like I've swallowed this steel ball and it's just resting in my stomach and it won't go away. It won't go! It's so cold.it's hurts. It won't go away. It won't-"  
  
Hermione broke off and returned to sobbing uncontrollably. Ron could only hold her, hold her until she had cried until she couldn't feel that small hard lump in her throat anymore. He helped her up the stairs and put her into bed without waking Ginny. On his way out of the room he heard a weak "Thank you." which he answered with a smile and a wink. "Anytime"  
  
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As Hermione lay looking at the ceiling in the few moments it took her to fall asleep she noticed that the cold hard steel of misery in her stomach had been replaced by a slight melancholy in her heart. "That was so kind of him. It's almost like he knew."  
  
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"How could anyone be so cruel," Ron thought to himself in the next room. He thought of Hermione's face, tears pouring down her face, miserable words escaping her lips and just before he fell asleep he remembered how wildly beautiful she had looked. 


	3. How could he

A/N: I got to vent all my break-up feelings! Oh I feel so much better.  
  
Oh and I own nothing, she owns all. Just covering my ass.  
  
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"She's staring at me again. Why in the name of all that is good and holy does she insist on following me, watching me, hounding me?! Why can't see just leave me to fantasising."  
  
This summer Ginny seemed to be even more infatuated with Harry than ever before. She didn't seem to have the inhibitions about openly watching him that she had before. Anytime before this when she had been staring at him for more than ten minutes she would realise what she was doing, turn that particular shade of crimson and not meet his eyes for the rest of the evening. Now she just didn't seem to notice she was watching him at all.  
  
What Harry didn't realise was that Ginny had lost her apprehensions due Harry's lack of response when she had been 'observing' him.  
  
This was true. Harry had been living in his own world for quite some time now. This was why he had not responded to Dudley's jibes, Uncle Vernon's rantings or Aunt Petunia's continual nagging during the summer, which left them rather puzzled at so many easy victories over Harry. This was also Hermione's painfully stifled misery of the previous day had escaped his notice, and why he hadn't seen the small, kind and even slightly protective gestures Ron had been directing at her that morning.  
  
He had been too busy with more important things. Things like perfecting the picture of Cho Chang that was hanging at the back of his head. He had been so busy recalling each line of her body, every angle of her face that he had barely said hello to the outside world. However, whenever he did feel compelled to rejoin the human race he had been in the best temper of his life as his rose coloured fantasies were probably the most delight- inspiring things he had ever experienced.  
  
At this particular moment Harry had been perfecting Cho's expression as he made the grand romantic gesture that would win her heart. (Minor details like what this gesture would consist of could be worked out later). Just as he had been deciding on the exact degree of emotion that her eyes would hold, he felt a familiar pair of eyes boring into the back of his neck. Momentarily off put by Ginny's stare, Harry lost the details he had been working all morning to perfect, which was in his eyes sacrilege.  
  
"Ginny." he managed to hiss through clenched teeth. Ginny started at being addressed directly by Harry for the first time that weekend. "Y-Yes?" she whispered meekly. "Will you do me a huge favour?" Ginny's heart leaped. A chance to do something for Harry! A chance to prove her affection, her devotion!! "Of course! I-I'm at your service" Ginny cringed at her failed attempt at a joke. : Maybe he'll think it's cute: she thought in desperation.  
  
"Will you please stand up, walk into the house and leave me alone!"  
  
"I wasn't doing any harm-"  
  
"It's not that hard Ginny! Contrary to popular belief, I'm not that great and I'd really appreciate it if you'd just go and plant your affections on something more deserving, Maybe like that blue doll you have" The minute the words had left his mouth Harry regretted them. Ginny's face had gone deathly white and her mouth was twitching in a very unusual way, a way that could only be an attempt to hold back tears.  
  
"Ginny I-"  
  
"No, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you mad, I didn't think you minded. I-I'm sorry"  
  
Ginny had barely voiced the shaky words before her tears came. She turned and fled into the house. Somehow she reached her room and threw herself on her bed crying and babbling to herself about how she should have known that she would only upset him, about how wrong it had been to follow him around like that how good he had been to put up with her for so long and how stupid and selfish she had been.  
  
After a few moments of silence Harry tried to return to his musings, but his vision of Cho kept replacing itself with the image of Ginny's white tearstained face. This image coupled with the whimpering floating down from Ginny's open window caused Harry to be overcome with a sense of guilt he had never felt before.  
  
"How could I." 


	4. A resolution?

A/N: I'm sorry I haven't been on in the past few days. I got my exam results (the exam that my entire academic career has been building towards). I got straight B's!!! So I'm a happy little girl! Sorry about the chapter, I was writing it while listening to the new Chilli's album and talking to my brother. And there's a spoiler in here from Book 4, so if you haven't read it don't say I didn't warn you!!  
  
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Hermione lay looking at the ceiling. For the first time in a long while she felt content, at peace with herself and her surroundings. Of course the melancholy at Viktor leaving her had not gone, but she was able to deal with it, even forget about it at times. She was now confident that her sadness would dissipate until it would disappear. In time she would be able to fantasise about Prince Charming without by reflex placing Viktor's face on him. Yes, she was content.  
  
"Ouch!"  
  
"Oops, sorry"  
  
"Honestly Ron! If you insist on twiddling my hair like that please refrain from pulling it out of my head in the process!"  
  
She was lying with her head in Ron's lap and for some alien reason he had begun to mess with her hair. Even though she was complaining Hermione was secretly enjoying it. She had always liked it when anyone played with her hair.  
  
"Viktor never thought to do it. ", she thought to herself.  
  
"What were we talking about again?" Hermione had become so lost among her thoughts that she just couldn't bring back the subject that they had been discussing just moments before.  
  
"Well, you were going on about how you had started your studies for the O.W.L.S already, how you were thinking about arranging extra tutoring outside of lessons because you were sure that you wouldn't be able to learn it all and I was telling you not to be so bloody stupid."  
  
"Ah yes I remember. I was thinking of just how to tell you that I really need to learn the entire courses off by heart or else I won't get the results I want. Hmmm, that should do nicely actually!" Hermione smiled at her own little witticism.  
  
Ron sighed inwardly with relief. I was good to see her smile again. She actually seemed happy. Still holding herself back a little, and he could tell that she was still thinking about that stupid idiot, but she was happy.  
  
"Hermione, I'm going to say this once, and once only, perhaps then it'll have more impact. You do not have to learn everything off by heart! You can't. I've seen people try! Percy nearly wasted away during his attempt and I-I don't want to see that happen to you. Don't put so much pressure on yourself. I want you to promise me you won't."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Promise me!" Ron used his mock growling voice. Hermione smiled again.  
  
"All right, I promise"  
  
: That is so nice. He's so sweet to be so concerned for me. I'm going to have to think up some way to thank him:  
  
Hermione was brought abruptly back to reality by the sound of a slamming door and senseless babbling mingled with near hysterical crying.  
  
She looked at Ron. "It's coming from Ginny's room"  
  
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Hermione put her ear to the door. "She's talking about Harry"  
  
"There's a surprise" muttered Ron. Hermione gave him A disapproving look. "Something about him being good to put up with her. She's saying she shouldn't have done. something. Maybe Harry knows what's wrong with her"  
  
"Yeah, I do" Harry's voice came from the stairs behind them.  
  
"Well, what's she on about then?" Ron was really interested at this stage.  
  
"I, I uh, I said some stuff, well, shouted some stuff at her. I shouldn't have. I feel really awful about it."  
  
"What did you say to her?" Ron's tone was unlike any Harry had heard him use before. Hermione recognised it. It was the same angry, slightly protective way of talking. It was the tone he used whenever he spoke about Viktor.  
  
"Nothing really. "  
  
"What did you say?!" Ron's voice grew louder.  
  
"I told her to leave me alone! That's all! Okay fine! That was all I said but I could tell I made her feel about six inches high when I did. I swear I didn't mean to Ron. I'm going in now to apologise. You know I wouldn't hurt Ginny. I'm just, tired or something I guess."  
  
Ron could see the sincerity in Harry's face and could hear in his voice that he was genuine.  
  
"Okay. But you'd better make it a bloody good apology."  
  
"I will"  
  
After a short bout of manly hugging to celebrate this 'narrowly averted' fistfight Harry entered Ginny's bedroom. Upon seeing her small form stretched out on her bed with her face buried in pillows his heart went out to her.  
  
: I can't believe I could do that to someone. She wasn't doing anything wrong: And at that moment, Harry promised himself solemnly that he would never again raise his voice at Ginny Weasley.  
  
"Ginny? Ginny it's me. It's Harry" He sat gingerly on the edge of the bed.  
  
"Harry, I'm really sorry, really sorry, really really sorry. " Ginny launched into a speech about how she was sorry how she'd never do it again. Harry stopped her short.  
  
"Listen. I'm not good. I don't have to 'put up' with you Ginny. You don't do anything to put up with. I was just, I don't know what I was doing down there, but it was really wrong of me to say those things to you and it was really wrong of me to say them to you the way I did. If anyone should be apologising, it's me. I'm so sorry. Will you please forgive me?"  
  
Ginny's relief and gratitude were so obvious it was funny. "Y-yes, I forgive you"  
  
"Thank you"  
  
After a few moments of silence Ginny opened her mouth to speak.  
  
"You were thinking about-about her, weren't you?"  
  
"Sorry?" Harry looked at her wide-eyed.  
  
"That girl, in Ravenclaw, Cho Chang isn't it? You were thinking about her down there?"  
  
"Umm. " Harry suddenly went very red. Had Ginny noticed his attentions to Cho last year? She must have, and judging by the way she was staring at her hands, she wasn't overly thrilled about it.  
  
"She was hanging around with that bloke, Cedric last year wasn't she?"  
  
Harry looked up, stung by the reminder of Cho's preference for Cedric, a preference probably heightened by Cedric's tragic death last year.  
  
"That-that's not important."  
  
"I guess not. I'm, ah, I'm glad that we sorted this all out. Thank you for talking to me Harry. I really appreciate it."  
  
Harry believed this statement, and though wondering at Ginny's almost catty remarks about Cho was sure that he'd sorted the situation out and hoped that perhaps it would help Ginny to get over her silly infatuation with him. Little did he know that Ginny wasn't just being catty about Cho, she was being as bitchy as her gentle disposition would allow. And as for getting over her infatuation, Ginny's fear of losing Harry's favour coupled with the kindness that he had just shown her paved the first few steps to that infatuation becoming something deeper. 


	5. The Unthinkable

A/N: Okay, we've got us a real short, real morbid chapter here folks. I don't think I have to up the rating for it but I can't make hide nor hair of these American ratings at all, at all! You lovely, lovely people will let me know if it is won'tcha?  
  
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Harry looked out to the setting sun. It was beautiful. Not many people knew it, but Harry had a deep-rooted appreciation for aesthetic beauty. Sometimes when no one was around, Harry would just sit, sit and take in the beauty around him. Like when Hogwarts and its grounds were blanketed in snow, or when the new growth of spring was just creeping around the school. It was at times like this that he wished he had someone. Someone who could share in the beauty of those moments.  
  
"Don't worry," he said to himself "Cho will. Soon she'll realise. She has to. I'll bet she's just like me. She wants the very same things. I'll bet she's even looking at this same sunset."  
  
Little did Harry know, Cho was at that very minute sitting in a small room, miles away, completely oblivious to the setting sun. She didn't care. She didn't care if the sun ever set again. In fact, she found the sunset an insult. It was an insult that the world should carry on spinning, that everyone else should carry on living. It was an insult to Cedric. How could life go on without him? She sat, tears streaming down her face, not wishing for someone as Harry was, just wishing to turn back the clock, to say the things she hadn't had the chance to say.  
  
It was that wish that had gotten her where she was now. She had heard a rumour about a year ago, a rumour about Hermione Granger. She'd gotten something called a Time Turner so that she could go back in time to do extra lessons. Cho had been researching these Time Turners ever since Cedric's death. Something in her subconscious had snapped, she felt she needed to speak to Cedric again; she felt that if she did the dull pain encompassing her would stop. She had found out that a small amount of Time Turners were kept in the Ministry of Magic, protected by the Ministry's most high profile undercover unit, the Unspeakables. She had constructed an elaborate plan, which had allowed her to get her hands on that which she most desired, but she hadn't counted on the new security system that had been put into practice only that morning. So here she was, sitting in this tiny cell, with only her grief to keep her. But she still had one option. There was one way that she could be with Cedric and stop her grief. She fingered the blade she had stolen from the neighbouring cell. She looked at it, admiring its silvery sheen, thinking about which way to make the deed quickest and most painless.  
  
Harry only had a few days to fantasise about his days with Cho at Hogwarts. He only had a few days before he would be confronted with the crushing news of her suicide. If he had known he probably would have savoured them more. 


	6. Reactions

A/N: Okay I know that this is seeming a little sad and morbid at the minute, but it's necessary. I have to pave the way for the extreme fluffiness that I have coming. Just in case you were losing faith, which I'm sure you weren't, right?  
  
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"Ron?" Hermione Looked at her friend, slightly worried. "Is something the matter?"  
  
Ron had been frowning at a particular Chudley Canons poster for nearly five minutes now. "Why would Harry say things like that to Ginny?" it had been three days and Ron was still having trouble coming to terms with this recent event. "He made her cry. I hate seeing her cry."  
  
Hermione sat down on the bed beside him. "I can't tell you what Harry said to Ginny, or why he said it, but I can tell you that he was-is really sorry about it. He didn't want to upset her."  
  
Ron nodded grudgingly. He had seen the guilt and shame in Harry's face when he had tried to explain himself.  
  
"And you know as well as I do that Harry isn't a bad person. He can't have wanted to hurt Ginny. It's just not in his nature."  
  
"I know" Ron agreed. "It's just, she's my sister and it makes me so mad to see her in that sort of a state. It hurts me to see her like that."  
  
Hermione couldn't help it. She threw her arms around Ron's neck and hugged him tight. "You are so good. You're such a good brother to Ginny and you have been so good to me especially over the past week. Thank you so much! Don't ever change Ron"  
  
Ron hardly knew what he was doing. As Hermione pulled back from him, he saw a tiny tear trickle down her cheek. "Don't worry 'Mione, it's okay, I won't." He wiped away the tear and kissed her cheek.  
  
They both looked at each other, trying to understand what just happened.  
  
"Hermione, I-"  
  
Ron was interrupted by the door suddenly bursting open. Harry was standing in the doorway, deathly white and trembling.  
  
"Harry are you alright?" "Harry what ever's the matter?" His two friends were so stricken with concern that they quickly forgot what had just happened.  
  
Hermione led Harry to the bed and sat him down while Ron closed the door. "Harry, Harry look at me. Tell me what's wrong." There was a definite note of worry in Hermione's voice.  
  
"She-she's dead." Harry didn't even recognise his own voice.  
  
"What? Who? Who's dead?" Ron's eyes were wide with surprise.  
  
Harry held up a copy of the Daily Prophet. There was a familiar looking picture on the front. "Cho. Cho Chang. She's dead. She killed herself. She tried to steal something, something important. They put her in some detention place and she-she-" Harry finally broke down.  
  
Hermione held his head to her shoulder. Ron sat down beside them and put him hand on Harry's back. They both knew that Harry had been thinking about Cho non-stop for the past week. Ron had heard her name come up more than once in Harry's frequent sleep talking sessions and Harry had called Hermione the wrong name so many times she had lost count.  
  
As Harry's body shook with poorly stifled sobs Hermione stroked his more than usually messy hair while Ron patted his back, both of them wishing they could do more.  
  
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Directly below the three teenagers Ginny Weasley sat on her bed staring into space.  
  
"You should be ashamed of yourself"  
  
"I know" Ginny agreed with the small voice of conscience. She thought back to that morning when she had read about Cho Chang's recent suicide. She thought back to the sense of triumph she had felt. That cow had tried to lay claim on Harry's affections and now she was dead. Cho's death had almost been a confirmation of Ginny's belief that herself and Harry were meant for each other.  
  
Suddenly Ginny felt a sharp pang of guilt and shame as she remembered Harry's face drained of all colour, drained of any emotion but shock and grief.  
  
How could she have felt those things? How could she have considered the death of a young woman a cause for grim celebration? How could she consider Harry being miserable and grief-stricken a triumph?  
  
"I'm a bad, awful, terrible person! I'm so sorry. How could I think such things?!"  
  
Ginny began to cry, begging some great cosmic force to grant her forgiveness for thinking such horrible things. She did not know, however, that she did not need forgiveness from anyone but herself. Unfortunately for her, she would not gain this forgiveness for some time. 


	7. Beginnings

"Harry, eat something. You can't just starve yourself like this"  
  
"I'm not hungry"  
  
Hermione had been trying in vain for the past ten minutes to force Harry to eat something. Her worried eyes travelled across the table to where Ron was trying to do exactly the same thing to Ginny.  
  
Spread out in front of them was the Hogwarts start of term feast, but the two wan teenagers were still refusing to touch a morsel of food.  
  
Both Ginny and Harry had been living in near identical worlds for the past week. Both of them had been encompassed by a sense of numbness. Their bodies seemed to be going through life's daily chores mechanically. They had temporarily ceased living. They were merely going through the motions of day-to-day life.  
  
Ron sought Hermoine's troubled gaze and shook his head. They were completely powerless. There was no real way that they could help either of them.  
  
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"I hate this!" Ron looked as if he was ready to punch a gaping hole in the common room wall. "Why Can't we fix what's wrong with them? I can't stand seeing them like this."  
  
"I know, neither can I" Hermione's voice was trembling. "They're both in so much pain. I wish I knew what to do. I always know what to do. But they don't write books about this."  
  
Ron could see the tears welling up in her eyes. "Sh, don't cry 'Mione. If you start you won't be able to stop. You couldn't know how to help them. We're not even completely sure what's wrong with them. Don't cry. Smile. You have such a pretty smile. Sh, don't cry."  
  
"You-you think I'm pretty?" Hermione's voice was muffled against Ron's chest. He hadn't even realised he was holding her.  
  
"Um, well, uh," Ron suddenly began to feel very hot. He could actually feel he ears turning pink. "When you smile, yeah," he muttered.  
  
Hermione pulled back and looked him in the eye. Suddenly, the memory of when Ron had kissed her flew into her head, banishing any worries about her friends. She remembered how her heart had quickened it's pace, how she had become momentarily breathless, how much she had wanted to feel it again.  
  
Almost as if reading her thoughts, Ron leaned towards her. Before Hermione knew what was happening she felt his lips on hers. For that split second there was nothing else. It was as if she was floating in complete darkness. There was just her and Ron and that kiss.  
  
The moment seemed to last a lifetime, but when Ron finally pulled away, Hermione felt it had ended all too soon. She looked at him and saw that her hands were in his hair. She felt his hands on her waist. Ron looked back at her and after a moment he broke into that lopsided grin. The same grin that Hermione realised she loved so much. He circled his arms further around her, pulled her closer and kissed her again. Differently this time. Hermione wasn't sure how to describe it to herself. Then it hit her. It was the way that Clark Gable kissed Vivien Leigh, the way Bogart kissed Ingrid Bergman, the way she always dreamed she would be kissed. She moved closer and kissed him back, willing the moment not to end.  
  
She didn't know it, but for the first time, Hermione Granger had experienced total and utter bliss.  
  
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Harry lost his train of thought. Had he even had one in the first place? Or had he just been sitting here feeling this particular emotion for hours on end? He blinked. His eyes were sore. He looked around. For the first time in seven long days he actually saw his surroundings. It was the Gryffindor common room. It appeared to be empty.  
  
"Ron and Hermione must have gone up to bed ages ago" he thought to himself. Harry was just about to do the same when his gaze fell on the small form of Ginny Weasely in the opposite corner of the room, half hidden in shadow.  
  
For some reason unknown to him, Harry rose and walked over to her. As he did so he noticed that she was very pale, and her eyes were filled with tears.  
  
"What's wrong?" His voice sounded strange, as if he hadn't used it in months.  
  
"I'm sorry Harry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for her to die. I didn't want that. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean those things I said. I'm sorry-"  
  
"Shh, calm down, calm down." Harry frowned at Ginny's peculiar outburst. "What do you mean 'you're sorry'? You didn't do anything. It's not your fault."  
  
Ginny raised her eyes to Harry's face. "It-It's not?"  
  
"How could it be?"  
  
"I-I don't know. I just, I didn't want her to go, not like that."  
  
"Of course you didn't Ginny. You're too good a person to want anything like that to happen to anyone. Who said that to you?"There was an unmistakable gleam of concern and kindness in Harry's tired, bloodshot eyes.  
  
"Nobody, it doesn't matter." Ginny resumed looking at the floor.  
  
Harry took Ginny's trembling white hands in his own.  
  
"You did no harm. You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to anyone, ever. I know that. Anyone who cares about you knows that. Don't beat yourself up Ginny, you don't deserve it."  
  
Harry stood up and walked slowly to the dormitory. For some reason he felt a little better, he felt as if the numbness was subsiding somewhat. Perhaps it was the fact that he now knew that someone else shared in his grief. He wasn't alone.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Ginny watched Harry slowly climb the stairs. She felt herself filling with relief and a bittersweet sort of happiness.  
  
"He does care. It-it wasn't my fault." 


	8. Revenge

Harry sat down. For the first time in what seemed like ages he was overcome with hunger. It was no joke; he actually thought his stomach was about to digest itself. He seized a plate and piled it high with toast, bacon and sausages. Just as he began to, literally, stuff his face Ron and Hermione sat down to his right.  
  
"Well I'm glad to see you've got your appetite back." The relief in Hermione's voice was obvious. Ron nodded his agreement.  
  
"Wha' ook oo 'uys so long?" Harry had always found it difficult to talk with his mouth full.  
  
"Ah, there was an incident." Hermione chose her words carefully.  
  
"An incident?" Harry had no idea what she was on about.  
  
"Spiders, great big, bloody, buggery spiders."  
  
"You don't know they were big. You didn't even see them!"  
  
"Yeah. Listen to this Harry. I was sitting in an armchair in the common room waiting for Hermione, right? She was coming up behind me or something, and she saw all of these spiders coming out from under the chair. Someone's idea of a stupid joke," It was obvious that Ron was convinced that this 'someone' was either Fred, George or their powers combined. "Anyway, she just did this fancy Charm that us lay people won't learn until seventh year. It was an illuminary charm-"  
  
"Illusionary charm, Ron" Hermione never could stand bad pronunciation.  
  
"Fine, Illusionary charm. When she cast it, I couldn't see the spiders, it was like they were invisible. So I just got up when I saw her and went out of the common room like normal. Whoever, played that trick must be sick!"  
  
"Well done Hermione. So, studying material two years ahead does pay off."  
  
"Oh haha, very funny Harry. Glad to see you've got your fabulous sense of humour back as well as your appetite." Both of the friends knew that she actually meant this. The friendly affection in her voice at seeing Harry on the road to recovery wasn't lost on either of them.  
  
Harry gave her a small smile while Ron squeezed her hand under the table.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Draco eyed the Gryffindor breakfast table from across the Great Hall. He had spent all summer coming up with elaborate plans to humiliate Potter, only to come to school and find he had no use for them. Potter was already miserable. Draco couldn't figure out why for the life of him, but the point was Potter was a mess. Even trying to laugh and joke with his friends he looked pitifully drained and wan. Very satisfactory.  
  
But that stupid Weasley. Draco's perfectly executed plan would have left Weasley a trembling wreck, for he had seen Weasley's extreme phobia of eight legged arachnids in second year. But that insufferable Granger girl just had to interfere. She had to use one of her stupid charms that she didn't bloody well need this year and ruin his brilliant plan.  
  
But he already had some idea of how he was going to get even with her. Other people would have thought it going way too far, but Draco felt that she had foiled him far too many times and got far too much sympathy and recognition for it and she was going to pay.  
  
But how to get Weasley. He had to hit him where it hurts, and hard. And then he saw it. Ron was holding Hermione's hand under the table.  
  
"How convenient," Draco thought to himself. "Two birds with one stone." He allowed himself an evil chuckle and began to work out the finer details of his most serious undertaking to date. 


	9. The deed

A/N: Okay, I know this has been done, and done, and then done a couple times more but it just fits in so very, very well! Again if I need to up the rating any you lovely, lovely people will let me know wontcha?  
  
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Hermione opened her eyes. She felt the damp stone underneath her. She was in the dungeons. She tried to sit up to look around. She gasped. A stabbing pain ran through her whole lower body. She looked down at her legs.  
  
"Oh, oh no! No! NO!" Her robes had been ripped and torn. Her legs were bruised and bleeding. Her eyes fell upon a small puddle of liquid near her. It wasn't blood. It was something else. Fear began to take hold of Hermione. She began to believe the worst. She had to get up. She had to get out of her. She had to tell someone.  
  
Struggling to get up her legs crumpled beneath her. She screamed but her cries only rebounded off the hard stone walls.  
  
She curled into ball on the damp ground shivering and crying until she lost consciousness again.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
"Stupid Filch. How come he hates Dungbombs so much. There's no real reason. There can't be. I bet it's just because he hates anything that brings joy and happiness to anyone. Yeah, that's it. Asshole."  
  
Upon finding Ron with a month's supply of Dungbombs, Filch had sent Ron to the darkest murkiest corners of the dungeons to clean out what Ron was sure were century's worth of dust and mould.  
  
His musings on Filch's unjustified hatred of anything good and holy were interrupted by a faint whimpering. It didn't seem to be that far away, and bored out of his proverbial tree, Ron decided to move in for closer inspection.  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
Hermione could see two unesrthly eyes staring down at her. He was holding her down. She writhed under his grip. "What's wrong 'Mione?" "Don't call me that! You can't call me that! You can't-" "There, there. Shut up 'Mione. After all, you should be enjoying this. You never forget your first time do you 'Mione-'Mione-HERMIONE!"  
  
She woke up with a start, tears spilling down her cheeks.  
  
"Oh God. 'Mione what the hell happened?"  
  
"Ron?"  
  
"Yes, yes it's me. What happened? Who did this?!"  
  
"I-I don't know. I can't remember. Oh Ron. It was so awful." Hermione dissolved into tears.  
  
Ron felt as if his heart had been wrenched from his body. He held her, gently cradling her head, stroking her hair.  
  
"Shh, its okay. Everything's okay. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."  
  
He moved her ever so slightly, resting her head against his chest. He put one arm under her legs and as gently as he could lifted her up.  
  
"Are you okay, I didn't hurt you?"  
  
Hermione nodded.  
  
Before she knew what had happened, Hermione was in the hospital wing. Ron laid her out on one of the beds.  
  
"I have to go outside 'Mione. Madam Pomfrey is going to look after you."  
  
Hermione clutched at Ron's sleeve. "Don't go, please."  
  
"Shh, don't worry. I'll be just outside. Shh, don't cry. It's okay. It'll be over soon. I'll be back." He kissed her softly, winked and left the room, not for one minute letting her see the utter rage that was steadily building up inside him.  
  
"I'll find out who did this to her. If it kills me, I'll find out." 


	10. Repercussions

A/N: I got into college! Yay for me!! I'm actually sitting here drinking champagne and eating chocolate, could there be any better writing environment?  
  
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"Mr Weasley, please desist from pacing the floor in that manner. You are wearing a rather noticeable hole in the carpet."  
  
Ron raised his eyes from his pacing feet to see the tall, dignified form of Professor Albus Dumbledore.  
  
"Is she-"  
  
Professor Dumbledore raised his hand. "All questions will be answered in due time. Yes, it is true that Miss Ganger has been," he paused, "raped." He seemed to be having serious trouble accepting the concept.  
  
Ron turned and punched the wall. Hard.  
  
"Mr Weasley there is no need for such behaviour! We are all angered and saddened at this development but please, for Hermione's sake and your own, channel your energies into something more productive!" Professor Dumbledore's eyes were ablaze with something stronger than anger, deeper than sadness.  
  
"He's right Ron." Harry's voice came from the back of the room. Ron had completely forgotten that there was anyone else there.  
  
"Miss Granger's memory ha been modified, but whoever has done this did a rather shoddy job. So much so that it is possible to delete the more lurid and painful details from Miss Granger's mind completely. It may well reduce her suffering and help her to deal with this episode."  
  
Ron nodded. Harry and Ginny smiled their appreciation from the back of the room.  
  
Ron opened his mouth to speak. Anticipating his wish, Professor Dumbledore raised his hand a second time.  
  
"At the moment Miss Granger is getting some well deserved rest, and I recommend that you three do the same."  
  
Ron had been nearly overcome with weariness many times that evening, but he was determined.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to wait here until she's ready to see me."  
  
"Ron, don't be silly! You need to sleep, you're practically keeling over with tiredness!"  
  
" She's right Ron, we could all do with some sleep."  
  
With the combined cajoling of Harry and Ginny coupled with Madam Pomfrey's Complaints that their argument would wake the patient, Ron was, eventually, brought back to Gryffindor Tower.  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
Hermione sat up in her bed. Had that been a knock at the door? She decided to chance it.  
  
"Come in."  
  
A familiar head popped around the door.  
  
"Harry! Come on in!" The slight note of disappointment in her voice was obvious.  
  
"Expecting someone else were we?"  
  
"No, no of course not! I'm delighted to see you!"  
  
" Hermione you don't have to lie to me. I've seen the way you've been looking at Ron lately. And as if I could miss you two holding hands under the table." Harry grinned at her.  
  
Hermione went bright red. "You saw that! Oh no! Oh Harry! I'm so, so embarrassed!"  
  
"Why should you be? I think it's great. He'd be right here if he wasn't fast asleep. He have been knackered, I could just about hear him worrying at midnight last night. He really cares about you." Harry's sincerity was palpable  
  
"I really care about him too. I-I've never felt like this Harry. Even when I was staying with Viktor. It's just so wonderful. It helps to know that he's there for me. Just like you are."  
  
Harry was glad to see that Hermione had not forgotten him. He gave her hand an affectionate squeeze. She was one of his best friends. She had helped him through much of his recent trauma and he wanted to return the favour.  
  
"And remember, if there's ever anything you ever need to talk about, that maybe you can't say to Ron, or anybody else, for whatever reason, I'm always here for you."  
  
Hermione looked at Harry with tears coming to her eyes. "I know."  
  
She threw her arms around his neck in a tight hug. "Thank you so much Harry!"  
  
Pulling back, Hermione thought of something. "Actually, Harry there is something I'd like to talk to you about. I don't want to say it to Ron. Not yet. He'd just get angry."  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"The counter curses that Madam Pomfrey has been using, they've worked. She's been so good. I still can't remember most of what happened. I don't ever want to remember. But, I remember, I remember who is was."  
  
Harry's mouth fell open. "W-Who?"  
  
"It was, it was Malfoy."  
  
--------------------------------------  
  
Ron sat at the Gryffindor breakfast table (soon to be the Gryffindor lunch table) munching toast ad muttering to himself about how he was going to kill Harry for not waking him up to go and visit Hermione.  
  
"So, Weasley," Malfoy's drawling voice came from behind him. "Potter ditch you then? Must've had better things to do. Saw him this morning. But I haven't seen that Muggle Granger since Thursday. Did something," Malfoy paused long enough to give Ron an extra special smirk, "happen to her?"  
  
Ron stared at him for several minutes, realisation creeping over his face. When he finally spoke, he spoke in a low menacing tone Draco had never heard him use.  
  
"You piece of filth."  
  
Ron lunged at Malfoy, fists aimed squarely at his jaw.  
  
"Ron stop!" The small form of Ginny came almost immediately between the two seething teenagers. Ron only just stopped himself mid-punch.  
  
"Ginny get out of the way."  
  
"No. You won't be helping Hermione in any way by just getting yourself into trouble. Just leave it. Be the bigger person for once"  
  
Ron was about to mention the fact that he had at least six inches on Malfoy, but stopped at the sight of Ginny's unmistakeable resemblance to his mother at that moment, and thought the better of it.  
  
Once they had reached the Gryffindor common room, Ron exploded.  
  
"That asshole! How could he do that to her? How could he? Ginny, how could anyone do that to another human being. Not just a human being, Hermione. How could he do that to 'Mione. Not my 'Mione. How-how-"  
  
Ron broke down.  
  
It was the first time Ginny had seen her big brother cry. : Harry was right. He really does care about her:  
  
Ginny rested Ron's head on her small shoulder.  
  
The brother and sister sat there, mourning the crime to their friend, until Ron's eyes were sore and Ginny's heart too heavy to bear. 


	11. Understanding

A/N: Okay my ex-boyfriend was just really, really, mean to me so I'm venting, venting, venting. Converting all rising anger to need to produce various kinds of fluff. Okay I think I'm ready to do some writing. (Just thought I'd share that!)  
  
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Ron took a deep breath and knocked at the door of the Hospital Wing sick bay. He had been reluctant to leave Ginny, she had seemed so unhappy. But Harry had insisted. He had promised to look after Ginny provided Ron went to visit Hermione. As if he wanted to do anything else. Well, maybe kick Malfoy's head in.  
  
He heard a faint "Come in." and entered the white, sterile looking room. As soon as he saw a pale, drained Hermione lying back on her pillows any anger lying in his heart was banished immediately by worry and concern.  
  
"How're you feeling 'Mione?"  
  
"Oh not too bad. I'm still just a little tired, I guess."  
  
Ron nodded, not believing her for a second. He looked at the table laden with sweets, flowers and various other gifts and noticed how they were all untouched.  
  
"I don't think you are alright 'Mione."  
  
She looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?" she asked, half smiling.  
  
"Well, through much careful observation and strenuous study, I have come to the conclusion that sugar quills are, in fact, your favourite sweet. And yet, here is a whole bow of them sent to you by the combined powers of Lavender and Parvati" he tapped the box with his finger "without the seal even broken."  
  
Hermione couldn't contain her laughter. Ron always could make her laugh.  
  
"So, in order to make you feel better, I am going to sit here and watch you eat these sweets until the box is empty. Are we clear?"  
  
"Haha, come here you idiot!" Hermione grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the bed.  
  
In a sudden moment of seriousness, Ron looked right into Hermione's eyes. "I've missed you 'Mione."  
  
"I've missed you t-"  
  
Hermione was cut short by a kiss. After a moment she began to pull back. Ron put his hand on the back of her neck. He wanted it to last longer, he'd missed her so much. Hermione began to pull back again, but Ron still held her. She put two hands on his shoulders and pushed him back as hard as she could. When Ron looked at her face he saw that she was crying.  
  
"'Mione, what is it? I-I thought you wanted this. I thought you liked me."  
  
"Ron, I do. But it, it reminds me of-of-"  
  
"Oh God 'Mione sweetheart I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't know, I had no idea. I'm sorry."  
  
"No I am. I'm being silly."  
  
"No of course you're not. Come here, do you want to talk about it?"  
  
Ron's eyes were so inviting. His hands were so warm. "Okay. You have to promise not to get mad if I tell you who did it. I don't want you to get in trouble."  
  
Ron's face hardened. "It was Malfoy, wasn't it?"  
  
Hermione's eyes widened with surprise. "How-how did you?"  
  
"It doesn't matter, the point is I know. You don't have to tell me now. Is there anything else wrong?" His face softened.  
  
"Well, there is one thing. I-I'm afraid."  
  
"Of what? Of Malfoy? Because he will not get within ten feet of you ever again. I'm gonna make sure of that."  
  
"No not that, I know he'll get what's coming to him. I'm scared for us. I'm scared that I won't be able to do the things you want me to. I mean, even just now, kissing you like that, I wasn't kissing you, I was just seeing him leering down at me. I don't think I'm able to do things that you want just yet. You should probably just leave now and save yourself the trouble of breaking up with me."  
  
Ron looked at her and held her hands in his. "'Mione, I wouldn't leave you over something like that. I'm nowhere near that shallow. I know you've just been through something terrible, and it's not fair to ask you to do things you're not ready for. I shouldn't have kissed you like that, but I've just been so worried about you, and I've missed you so much. But none of that matters. All that matters is, I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you. And if being with you means taking everything one baby step at a time, then here's to the first of our journey." And with that he raised her small white hand to his lips, and kissed it gently.  
  
Hermione raised her tear-drenched eyes to his. "You mean that? You mean it's okay? You still want to be with me?"  
  
Ron nodded. Hermione smiled through her tears. "Then, will you do something for me?"  
  
"Anything."  
  
"Will you hold me?"  
  
Ron had been waiting for the word. He placed his arms gently around her rested her head against his chest and after a moment or two, began to softly stroke her hair.  
  
After a few long minutes he heard a faint whisper. "Thank you so much Ron."  
  
"Anything for you." 


	12. Answering the call

A/N: Hey folks. Sorry to say this but there won't be any frantic posting tomorrow night like last week cuz I'm goin to SLANE!!!! (Big concert thing that I've been waiting ages to go to.) I'm really sorry about this; I just feel the need to share all of these random details. I'm really not sure why.  
  
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Harry sat down beside Ginny. "I was right to make him go and visit her wasn't I?"  
  
"Of course you were! Don't be silly, Hermione needs Ron much more than I do right now!"  
  
Harry smiled inwardly at Ginny's unselfishness. Never in his life had he met such an unashamedly good person. She was the only person that he had ever felt deserved the phrase 'heart of gold'. He realised that even Cho, when she had chosen Cedric over himself, had not deserved that colloquialism. It was nice to know that there were truly good people in the world.  
  
Harry moved a little closer to her, and put an arm about her shoulders, out of friendship, of course.  
  
"But you need someone right now. You look far further down in the dumps than before. What's up?"  
  
For the first time, Ginny looked into Harry's eyes without hesitation. She saw the concern and sincerity that they held. She knew that at that moment, she could tell him anything, no matter how silly it seemed.  
  
"It's just everything."  
  
"Do you want to elaborate on that at all?"  
  
Ginny smiled. "Haha. Well, I just.I don't like seeing everyone so upset. You've been unhappy for a while now, Ron's so angry and upset for Hermione. And poor Hermione, she's just suffering."  
  
Harry gave Ginny's shoulders a small squeeze. "It's alright. We'll all be okay. I know we will. Because we've got you to worry about us and make sure we're all okay. It's so sweet that you think about how we're feeling all the time Ginny, it really is. But you can't let thoughts and worries like that take their toll on you. You haven't been eating, Hermione says you haven't been sleeping. You've gotten all thin and pale, just in the past fortnight. You'll just waste away, and I don't want that."  
  
Harry pulled back a little as the full weight of his last few words hit him. He had meant them. Really meant them. Maybe, maybe he hadn't noticed all of those things about Ginny because he was just a concerned friend; maybe he had been worrying about her for another reason. And maybe he hadn't just rushed Ron out because Hermione needed him, maybe he had wanted time alone with Ginny aswell. In a moment, Harry had recounted all of the coy glances across the breakfast table, all of the 'accidental' touches, he even saw his hand at that minute, sliding from Ginny's shoulders to her waist.  
  
"Harry what's wrong? Oh, I shouldn't have said those things, they were stupid weren't they, oh I'm such a-"  
  
"Shut up"  
  
Ginny looked at Harry in surprise. He was looking right into her eyes. It seemed like a really corny thing to think, but she actually felt like he could see something deep inside her. He could plainly hear the voice in her heart begging him to kiss her.  
  
So he did. 


	13. Arrogance

A/N: I'm in such good form after yesterday I'm gonna have to just write reams and reams of meaningless fluff. And maybe some plot, maybe.  
  
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"How dare you make such allegations against my son!"  
  
"Why hello Lucius, I didn't hear you knock." Professor Dumbledore didn't so much as bat an eyelid at Malfoy's unprecedented entrance and arrogant address.  
  
"How dare you! How dare you even contemplate that my son, MY son would do such a thing. A pure blood would not do something so derogatory."  
  
"Well that is all well and good Lucius, but we have testimony from the victim and scientific conformation that this was the work of your son."  
  
Malfoy scowled. "Scientific?" he cried incredulously. "You are going to try and pin this on my son using some primitive Muggle practice?"  
  
"Think of it as you will Lucius, but this method of confirmation is highly effective and indeed, completely accurate. This act was carried out by Draco Malfoy, your son, and he will receive expulsion for this offence."  
  
Malfoy's eyes narrowed to barely visible slits. "I knew you were bad news the moment you began lording your power over this school. You've brought the name of British wizardry down so much with your crackpot methods. But you'll get what's coming to you."  
  
And with that he swept from the room. Dumbledore stared after him, contemplating the different layers of meaning that could be discerned from Malfoy's last remark. For some reason, he felt it may be something a little more serious than writing to the board of governors. It was a pity; he now had to take the time to deal with this new development. He eyed the half built miniature Hogwarts castle on his desk.  
  
"This will just never be finished." 


	14. Justice

The three friends had never been so glad to see the back of anyone as they were the minute Draco Malfoy turned on his heel and left Hogwarts, never to return.  
  
They had all stood on the first landing of the main staircase to watch Malfoy leave. Hermione had only been out of the hospital wing for a couple of days and in spite of Ron's numerous pleadings for her to stay in bed she stood with her head held high, her back straight and her face dignified as Malfoy walked out the door, even if she was leaning rather heavily on Ron's arm.  
  
"I wonder what Crabbe and Goyle are gonna do now?" Ron whispered to Harry.  
  
"Probably just wander around aimlessly. They'll hardly find someone else as evil and scheming as Malfoy to act as henchmen for."  
  
The two friends sniggered while Hermione smiled widely. It really was a rather comical sight. Crabbe and Goyle were at the door waving to Malfoy with dazed and confused expressions on their faces. They were obviously still figuring out the finer details of their friend's expulsion. Pansy Parkinson was also present, fluttering a pink handkerchief madly and quite literally bawling at the top of her lungs. Moaning Myrtle would have been proud.  
  
Hermione turned to Ron. "Ron, I think we should go. I'm beginning to get a little tired and I don't think I'm quite up to facing thise three when they come back in."  
  
Ron looked at Harry, who nodded his agreement. And with that they started back up the stairs.  
  
"What's he going to do now though? Where is he going to go to school? There isn't another wizarding school in all of Britain."  
  
Harry and Ron looked at each other, grinning. Even now Hermione's thoughts were on school.  
  
"He was going on about how his father had gotten him a place in Durmstrang in Potions yesterday."  
  
"Oh, I see." Hermione fell silent.  
  
"You okay 'Mione?" Ron asked.  
  
"What? Oh, yes, yes I'm fine. I just didn't remember there being so many stairs to the common room."  
  
Ron looked at her again. She didn't seem in any way sad. After a few moments of slight worry, he concluded that it was probably just a shock at hearing things associated with Krum after so long.  
  
Ron didn't know it, but his understanding of Hermione's mind and nature was growing more accurate by the day.  
  
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As Harry sat at the Gryfindor table that evening, he felt strange somehow. He was feeling an emotion that he had forgotten existed. He was not miserable or weighted down with worry. But neither was he content. He was morethan content. He was actually (as scared as he was to admit it to himself) happy. Hermione was okay, Ron's face no longer resembled a thunderous sky, ginny's face was clear and smiling and her hands were warm under the table within his own.  
  
For the first time in months Harry Potter was happy.  
  
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As soon as everyone in the hall had finished eating and the last plates had cleared, Professor Dumbledore sttod up. A hush fell within the hall.  
  
"Students, teacher, ghosts, ghouls and Peeves." The poltergeist made a highly exaggerated bow at the mention of his name.  
  
"So far this year, there has been a rather melancholy atmosphere that seems to have penetrated every single person residing in this school. Even now, coming up to the season of love and goodwill ('He means Christmas' said George Weasely, rather loudly) the entire school seems completely devoid of any life or spirit that is every year present. So in order to remedy this, I feel the very pressing need to reintroduce a concept that seemed to bring much joy to the student body last year."  
  
Many people at the different tables looked at each other trying to puzzle out what the headmaster was talking about, what was this mystery event that he was hinting at. Harry couldn't help but notice that Lavender and Parvati both had their eyes squeezed shut and their fingers crossed.  
  
"So," Dumbledore continued, "During the Christmas holiday's this year, Hogwarts will be holding a second Yule Ball."  
  
An excited babble broke out among the tables. Lavender and Parvati squealed and began hugging each other.  
  
"Angelina, you free over the holidays?" Fred shouted across the table. "Yeah, why not make it two in a row." Angelina replied smiling. 


	15. A revelation

A/N: I'm sorry. I know the Yule Ball thing has been done to death, but they need to get all dressed up and have a good time. Hell, I'll be doin it in month! Won't have a date though.  
  
And yes, I made up the really lame Charm. I've been playing Final Fantasy, it's not good for me.  
  
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Ginny walked out of the empty classroom, bright scarlet and smiling from ear to ear. Five minutes later Harry followed, slightly less red, but his hair was even more untidy than usual as if he had raked a sweaty hand through it about fifty times in the past fifteen minutes.  
  
Ron and Hermione had been talking animatedly about their Charms essay to be done over the holiday ("Really Ron it's only 4 feet of parchment, and there's so much on the course about Blizzundus Charms." "Hermione, do you know how long 4 feet is? As long as Colin bloody Creevey!!! I have to write a Colin Creevey's worth of parchment for Charms!")  
  
They had stopped talking the moment they had seen their two friends come out of the classroom. As soon as Harry had disappeared around a corner, Ron burst into peals of uncontrollable laughter.  
  
"Oh, Ron don't! It's so sweet." Hermione pleaded, a smile playing on her lips. "And anyway," She turned away with an expression of mock disgust on her face, "No one's asked ME to the ball yet. I think I'll just have to go on my own."  
  
Ron put on his 'knight in shining armour' face. (Sir Cadogan had taught him. Ron had spent most of the time fighting the urge to laugh.) "Fear not O fair damsel. For I Sir Weasley the fifth, shall escort you to the ball!"  
  
At this point, Ron had really got into character. He got down on one knee and held Hermione's hand. "That is, if m'lady will have me." He kissed her hand and looked up at her with an expression not unlike the author's new puppy. (A/N: Had to.)  
  
"Well, when you put it like that, a lady can't well refuse."  
  
"Yeah, but this is you we're talking about 'Mione."  
  
Ron easily dodged a deathblow aimed at his head. Laughing the whole way, the couple ran all the way to the lake. Hermione jumped and grabbed Ron by the shoulders. They both, in turn, lost their balance and tumbled onto the grass.  
  
Ron suddenly looked as if he had remembered something, and his face filled with concern. "'Mione you shouldn't have done that! Did I hurt you?"  
  
Hermione gave him a mock slap in the face, laughing as much as ever. "Will you please stop worrying? I'm fine. Now stop acting like my father and act a little more like my boyfriend."  
  
Ron looked completely taken aback. "Boyfriend?"  
  
Hermione suddenly became very interested in her sleeve. "Well, if you don't- I mean, if you didn't mean- if you didn't want-"  
  
Suddenly she felt his fingers under her chin, lifting her face up to the sunlight. She looked up and saw his face just before his lips touched hers. He pulled back from her just long enough to whisper in her ear "I've just been waiting for you to say the word. I didn't think it'd be so soon."  
  
Hermione wanted to say something back, but all she could muster was a breathless, emotional "Oh Ron-"  
  
She kissed him back, smiling. She could feel how strong his hands were on her back, how warm his arms were around her, how soft his lips were.  
  
She didn't know it, but Ron was thinking the same sort of things about her. He was marvelling in his minds eye at how perfect her features were, how gentle and soft her hands felt on his neck, how her body seemed to 'fit' beside his.  
  
They lay there, under the shade of a low tree by the lake, blocking them from view, kissing each other and each counting their blessings. 


	16. Compliments

A/N: I just realised that I haven't thanked anybody that's reviewed this. Thank you all! You're all beautiful! I love you guys! You don't know, but you've all helped me through a wee bit of a tough time, so thanks loads!  
  
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Ron paced the Gryffindor common room. Not for the first time that evening, he smoothed out his burgundy dress robes. (His mother had sworn that there was a difference between burgundy and maroon. Ron was having trouble believing her.) He checked his breath for the twentieth time in the past ten minutes.  
  
"Ron, you're minty fresh, okay?!" Harry's exasperated voice came from behind him. "Ginny and I are going now, okay? Promise me you won't pull your hair out from combing it."  
  
"Oh you think you're so funny don't you?"  
  
"Well, now that we're on the subject."  
  
Ron gestured to Ginny, who was waiting for Harry at the portrait hole. "Go on. Go off gallivanting with my baby sister. She's waiting for you."  
  
Harry winked and walked out of the common room, hand in hand with Ginny, leaving Ron to wait by the stairs wondering if Hermione had drowned in Sleekeazy's Hair Potion.  
  
---------------------------------------------  
  
"You look beautiful." Harry was almost pleased to see Ginny blush at his compliment. It made her look even prettier. Her dress robes were of midnight blue and seemed to have been made to fit on her small, slim frame. Over the past year her hair had grown into ringlets that tonight were tied back elegantly. She moved with a grace and dignity that Harry had never seen her use before. Her dark eyes sparkled whenever she looked at him. Yes, she truly was beautiful.  
  
Ginny realised after about three minutes that she should really repay Harry's compliment. "Y-you look really nice too Harry." She managed with a heartfelt smile. Her tiny comment didn't cover her admiration by a long shot. She had been hung up on how great he looked since he had come down the spiral staircase that evening. He had always been taller than her, but this year he had gained a different build. He wasn't as skinny as he had been. His shoulders had broadened, making his robes hang off him in a very becoming manner. But he still retained all of his wit and schoolboy charm. He still had everything that Ginny had loved about him from the very start.  
  
Just before the pair entered the Great Hall, Harry stopped dead.  
  
"Oh, I completely forgot!"  
  
"What? Is everything okay? Is it anything important?" Ginny began to look around wildly, hoping that there was nothing serious wrong.  
  
Harry was fumbling around in the pocket of his robes. "You bet it's important. Aha! Found it!"  
  
He pulled out a tiny wreath of deep blue flowers. Ginny let out a small gasp. "Oh Harry! They're beautiful!"  
  
Harry turned Ginny around and wound the flowers into her hair. "Hermione showed me your robes on the sly, and I found these flowers to match it. I thought you deserved a gift after all you've been through so far this year. I'm sorry it isn't anything more."  
  
Ginny whirled around. "Oh Harry don't be silly! They're gorgeous! I love them. Oh, but I don't have anything for you." Ginny looked thoroughly ashamed of herself.  
  
"Don't be like that Ginny! You should know I don't want anything back, being the perfect gentleman that I am."  
  
Ginny giggled. "Haha, okay then, but here, this might help to pay you back a little."  
  
Ginny put her arms around Harry's neck, pulled herself up on tiptoe and kissed him softly.  
  
Harry smiled down at her. "No, this might help pay me back." He kissed her back, but differently. Ginny could feel herself going weak at the knees. But that didn't matter, Harry was holding her up. Harry would catch her if she fell; He would remedy all ills.  
  
Ginny knew that this night was starting as it meant to continue. 


	17. Lets have a good time!

Ron's jaw dropped.  
  
"What? What is it? Is there something on my robes? Did I spill something on them? Did I sit on something?" Hermione instantly began to twist and turn, trying to see an invisible stain o her periwinkle blue dress robes.  
  
"Don't be stupid."  
  
"Then why are you staring at me like that?"  
  
"Because you're just, you look beautiful 'Mione." He meant it. To the layperson, Hermione looked almost exactly the same as she had last year. But Ron could note the tiny details that, to him, made her seem almost otherworldly. She had grown an inch or two over the past year, making her seem even more elegant than last year. Her waist and hips seemed slimmer and she seemed to hold her arms and head in a much more graceful fashion. She seemed, in a way, becomingly delicate after her recent ordeal, but she also radiated an inner strength that Ron had never seen in her before.  
  
Hermione blushed. "Th-Thanks Ron. You look really good too."  
  
It was true. His new dress robes had gone a long way. As much as he hated it, and as much of a girly thing to do as it was, Hermione couldn't help but notice that maroon was his colour. ('Hmm, it really is more of a burgundy.') She wasn't the only one that had grown over the past year. Ron had grown even taller, but the rapid rate of his unending lengthening had slowed somewhat. Ands he'd grown outwards a little too. He had lost some of his 'beanpole' appearance. With the onslaught of puberty his shoulders and chest had broadened, making his robes fit him in a much more attractive way. (Ron was thinking exactly the same thing about Hermione, but was too much of a gentleman to make his admiration obvious.)  
  
Ron offered Hermione his arm. "Come on, we have to go meet Harry and Ginny."  
  
Hermione nodded her consent and took Ron's outstretched arm.  
  
"Really 'Mione I thought you might change your image for this ball. I mean the shock value last year was pretty damn good, and I was kinda hoping that you'd try to pull it off again." Ron's lips were twitching.  
  
"Well Ron dearest, it's not like I'm going with an international Quidditch star this year now is it? I certainly wouldn't feel the need to spend all that time working out a new image unless I was."  
  
Ron looked at her with his mouth open far too wide, with a blatant expression of mock disgust on his face. He spluttered incoherently for a few moments, but when he could think of nothing remotely good to come back with he gave up. "Fine you win."  
  
"Again."  
  
"Yes, again. You're just too smart for me 'Mione."  
  
"Thought you would have figured that out ages ago."  
  
Ron laughed. Hermione breathed a sigh of contentment. It was good to hear Ron laugh. He hadn't in so long. And to her, Ron had always seemed to be one of those people that needed to laugh at least twice a day. He was meant to be happy. It had pained her to see his brow furrowed with worry over the past few months. The best gift she had ever received was seeing Ron's face deliciously clear on entering the Great Hall that night.  
  
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"Sweet Jesus! Harry! Harry don't! Noooo, you'll swallow her!"  
  
Ron tried desperately to pry the two smitten teenagers apart, while Hermione dissolved into fits of giggles.  
  
"Ron! Ron that wasn't funny!" Ginny was looking murderously at Ron. All that Harry could manage was to gape open mouthed at Ron while shaking his head.  
  
"Oh so it's like that is it Ginny? Well, I won't step in in future, but mind you, don't come crying to me when Harry sucks your lips off!"  
  
Hermione still giggling, apologised to her friends and followed Ron to another table (Harry and Ginny's was, artfully, only big enough for two.)  
  
"Ron what's gotten into you?"  
  
"I dunno! I guess I haven't done anything like that in ages! The only thing is, Harry looks like he really wants to get me back for it now!"  
  
It was true. Harry was looking at him over Ginny's shoulder, with the familiar I'm-so-gonna-kick-your-ass-later written across his face.  
  
"So I think I should really enjoy these few hours that I have alive with you."  
  
Hermione giggled again. "Haha. Okay. So what do you want to be your first action of enjoying yourself tonight."  
  
"Hmmm, let me think. Haha, come here."  
  
Ron put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her towards him. Hermione smiled as he kissed her. It was just like having the old Ron back. Charming, funny, infuriating Ron.  
  
This was going to be a great night. 


	18. Inner conflict

A/N: I'm so, so, so, so sorry that I haven't posted until now! I've been worn out with work and everything, and I can't post at 11 o'clock at night anymore or I'll wake the puppy and he'll start crying! I'm so sorry! But anyway.on with the story!  
  
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There had been no rumours about any band playing this year, so everyone in the Great Hall that night was insanely curious as to what was to be done for music.  
  
Well, everyone apart from one particular couple. All through that night's meal, Ron had been marvelling at Hermione. The way she managed to look so ladylike while chewing a bite of chicken, how she still managed to smile enchantingly at him with her mouth full, how she was just amazing in every way possible.  
  
"Ron, what are you staring at? Do I have food on my face? Or something in my teeth?" Hermione began to look anxious.  
  
Ron shook his head. He reached out across the table, and lovingly took her hand in his.  
  
"Hermione-"  
  
He was cut off by Professor Dumbledore, tapping his glass, asking for silence.  
  
"Now, as I am sure you have noticed, there is no band present to delight us with their musical abilities. As a few of you may know, the Weird Sisters are currently touring Uganda, and were unable to attend this year. However, due to the efforts of our very own Professor Flitwick, there will indeed be music this evening."  
  
After a warm applause, Professor Flitwick raised his wand, muttered something inaudible and music instantly began playing. Hermione and Harry both instantly recognised it as Dean Martin.  
  
"So Dumbledore appreciates other things made by Muggles, aside from sweets." Hermione smiled to herself.  
  
Ron suddenly became nervous. "Eh, 'Mione?"  
  
Hermione looked up.  
  
"I er, I can't really er, dance."  
  
"Oh Ron don't be silly! Come on! It's not that hard!"  
  
Ron could feel his face burning as Hermione led him onto the dancefloor, where many people had already gathered.  
  
"Don't worry. It's okay. Just put your arms around me. That's it. Now just move to the music. It's really easy."  
  
Ron looked into Hermione's eyese smiled at him.  
  
Suddenly Ron felt calm. He held hermione close to him and began to move. Not just move; dance, as if he had always known how.  
  
"See, I told you it was easy!"  
  
Ron smiled down at her. "Yeah. You're always right aren't you? Haha!" He bent down and kissed her softly on the forehead.  
  
"Now?" Ron asked himself, "No, no I should wait, yeah, wait until we're alone, yeah that's the thing to do."  
  
Instead of launching into his prepared speech, Ron just held Hermione closer. As he felt her head touch his shoulder, a couple dancing in front of them caught his eye. It was Harry and Ginny.  
  
"She's my little sister": She's not that little anymore: "Yes she is! She's only a child!" She's fourteen years of age! She can make her own choices: "But Harry's older than she is. What if-what if he want's her to something, something she doesn't want her to do-" :Oh don't be so ridiculous! Do you honestly think Harry would ask her to do anything like that? He's your best friend! And the fact that he's a little older than she is means that he'll look out for her! You should be happy for them. You want both of them to be happy, so why shouldn't they make each other happy? You have to stop being so protective of her: "Yeah I know. She does look beautiful doesn't she?": Yeah, she does, especially when she smiles like that:  
  
Ron hadn't seen his sister smile like that in a long time. It was the smile that she wore whenever she was completely carefree, when nothing was weighing down her innocent mind. Ron nodded in agreement with himself. If he had to hand his baby sister over to anyone, who better than his best friend. 


	19. A declaration

Harry glanced over Ginny's shoulder and saw Ron lead Hermione out of the hall. He allowed himself a short chuckle before returning his attentions to Ginny.  
  
As if reading his mind Ginny looked up at him, smiling.  
  
"So, marks out of ten for the night so far Harry?" she asked with a slightly coy look on her face.  
  
"Twenty." Harry said quietly before giving her a soft lingering kiss.  
  
Ginny raised a small hand to Harry's cheek and looked into his eyes. They seemed to change to a deep emerald in the soft lighting. "You aren't like anyone I've ever met Harry."  
  
Harry looked back into Ginny's warm brown eyes. "Neither are you. You're so- special. That doesn't cover half of what you are or how you make me feel, but it's the best I can come up with." Harry grinned sheepishly. "You know you make me happy don't you? You know you're really important to me."  
  
The emotion in Harry's face brought tears to Ginny's eyes, and she could only nod, fearing she would begin to cry.  
  
"You mean a lot to me too Harry." Ginny managed to say in a small voice. "You mean so much to me."  
  
And with that Ginny buried her face in Harry's robes, so as he couldn't see the tears of happiness that she simply couldn't control.  
  
Harry just held her tighter and cradled her head as they kept on dancing.  
  
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Ron's request to go for a walk had taken Hermione so much by surprise that she agreed. But the moment they emerged into the chilly night air, she immediately remembered how much fun she had been having in the Hall.  
  
"Why are we out here Ron? It's so much nicer inside."  
  
Ron turned around. "Because I need to talk to you alone."  
  
Hermione was immediately silenced by the curiosity that now overcame her. What could Ron want to say to her? Was it bad? Did he not want to see her anymore? Was he angry with her? Was he-  
  
"Here, this looks like a nice place to talk." Ron sat down behind a particularly large rosebush. Hermione sat down beside him.  
  
"What is it Ron? Did I do something wrong? Are you angry with me?"  
  
Ron looked at Hermione incredulously. "No! No of course not. Why would I be angry with you? No I brought you out here to tell you something, something important."  
  
He took Hermione's hand in his. " 'Mione, we've known each other for years now, and I-I always cared about you. It always hurt me so much if anything happened to you, or if someone hurt you. But I knew, I knew when you started seeing Krum."  
  
Hermione looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Knew what?"  
  
Ron took a deep breath. "I knew that I'd-that I'd fallen for you. I knew that I cared about you more than I thought. I was insane with jealousy when I saw you with him. And then when he hurt you this year, and when Malfoy hurt you I knew. I knew that it was real. I knew that, that," Ron paused and raised his eyes to hers.  
  
"I love you 'Mione"  
  
Hermione stared at him for a moment, the full weight of his words hitting her. And then, as if she had known all along, she knew that she felt the same way.  
  
"I love you too Ron."  
  
Ron smiled. It was a smile of complete, unadulterated happiness.  
  
"So, so will you be my 'Mione?"  
  
Hermione smiled back at him.  
  
"I always was." 


	20. A new threat

A/N: I think I have to start making this just a little bit more interesting, let me know if it works, okay?  
  
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Professor Dumbledore looked out upon the school grounds. In order to prolong the good feeling the Yule ball had achieved, he did something completely unprecedented, again.  
  
He had allowed for an extra week of Christmas holidays. In his eyes, the only thing that could completely rid the school of its traces of melancholy was for the students to share the remnants of Christmas cheer with their families.  
  
Suddenly, the door behind him burst open. It was Professor McGonagall. Her face was flushed and her hat was just about to part company with her head.  
  
"Albus! Albus come quickly! You've received an urgent owl from the Ministry! You-Know-Who, he's been seen! Somewhere in Bristol, twenty Muggles dead, more injured, Albus you must come at once!"  
  
Professor Dumbledore said nothing. He had known that this was going to happen. The fact that it would be so soon was indeed a surprise. However, the time had come for action, action that he had been preparing himself for during the past fifteen years.  
  
He nodded once and sped out of the room. Within twenty minutes he was in the presence of Cornelius Fudge fighting the urge to tell him "I told you so."  
  
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Elsewhere, in a dimly lit room, two hooded figures stood. One holding himself straight, the other bowed.  
  
The taller spoke first, in a high pitched voice so cold it could freeze naked flame.  
  
"The diversion is in place Malfoy. Your desire has been granted."  
  
The bowed figure spoke in a low voice. "You are most obliging Master. I thank you on bended knee."  
  
"You have always been on hand to fight my battles Malfoy, and your attentions have indeed made up for your denial of me in previous times. But I have not done this only for your sake. It is most convenient that you have begun a personal vendetta against one of Harry Potter's closest friends. It should aid my plans greatly."  
  
The hooded figure bowed lower mumbling, "I am honoured to be of service my lord."  
  
"I am sure Malfoy. Now if everything has gone to plan, Dumbledore is no longer at Hogwarts. Go and execute your plan. Do it as I have instructed. Leave no trace of yourself, merely the fact that it was my bidding. Potter must be enabled to take the bait, if this is to work."  
  
The hooded figure bowed as he left the dimly lit room.  
  
"As you wish, my lord."  
  
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A/N: Sorry about it being so short, but the next chapter should be up in a matter of hours so don't fret! 


	21. The next step

Ron opened his eyes. Immediately, the image of Hermione's face flew into his head. For some reason, he was worried.  
  
He flung open the hangings on the side of his bed. The dormitory was deserted, but that didn't mean anything. The only other person that had been sleeping there was Harry. The two friends, Ginny and Hermione were the only people in Gryffindor Tower that week, everyone else had returned home for the extra week of holidays. Fred and George had laughed so hard when Ron had refused to go home. But he didn't care. It was more time to spend with Hermione.  
  
But this morning, Ron's feeling of worry kept eating at him. Without thinking, he half ran, half fell down the stairs to find, Hermione.  
  
She looked up calmly. Upon seeing his hair practically standing on end and the strange panicked expression on his face, she did the only thing she could do. She burst out laughing.  
  
"What's wrong with you this morning?" she managed to say between giggles.  
  
Ron grinned sheepishly. What had been wrong with him? It had been like an uncontrollable fear that Hermione was, well, gone. He shook himself mentally. "Don't be such a twat Weasley."  
  
He shook his head. "Nothing 'Mione."  
  
He opened his mouth to say more but Hermione held up her hand, silencing him.  
  
"Before you say anything, please go up and get changed! I can't talk to you seriously looking like that!"  
  
"Nice!" Ron turned and climbed the stairs laughing.  
  
Five minutes later Ron came back down the stairs, looking much more presentable. Hermione walked over to him.  
  
"That's better. Now, what were you going to say."  
  
"Well, I was thinking of opening the conversation with 'Good Morning' thought I might throw in a 'You look really beautiful' somewhere."  
  
Hermione went to slap him on the arm, but Ron grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. His other hand slid around her waist as he kissed her.  
  
Hermione smiled up at him as they pulled away from each other.  
  
"Where are Harry and Ginny?" Ron asked her. Hermione dissolved into giggles again.  
  
"They went out walking, really early this morning. Harry went into Ginny's dormitory, I can hear everything in there, the ceiling must be thin or something. They're so cute Ron! Harry kept spouting all these corny lines. Oh it was so sweet!"  
  
There was a smile playing on Ron's lips. " So you DON'T like corny lines? Damn. That's my whole game plan out the window."  
  
"I didn't say that! I just don't find Harry spouting them particularly appealing. It's different when it's you." Hermione broke into a broad smile.  
  
"Oh, well in that case. What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?"  
  
Hermione's laughter was silenced by another kiss. Ron pulled her even closer to him and Hermione pulled herself up on tiptoe, trying to move closer to Ron. They both felt exactly the same at that moment. They both wanted to be as close to each other as they possibly could, but just they couldn't.  
  
Hermione pulled back from Ron in surprise. The solution had hit her. She knew. She knew that it was right. She knew that she wanted to. She knew that Ron was the only person that she would trust enough.  
  
"'Mione?" Ron whispered. "'Mione, is there something wrong?"  
  
Hermione shook her head. She raised her eyes to his. She saw it in his eyes. She saw a hunger in them. He wanted her. He felt the same way.  
  
"I want to Ron."  
  
Ron almost took a step back. "Are you sure? You don't have to. If you're not ready. If it's still too soon-"  
  
Hermione placed a finger over his lips. "No. I want to. I love you."  
  
Ron looked down at her and knew that she meant it. "I love you too 'Mione. I love you so much."  
  
With that, Ron bent down slightly and lifted Hermione up in his arms. Kissing her softly, he carried her to the deserted dormitory.  
  
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A/N: I like the rating I have so if my calculations are correct, I'll just censor the next part. Use your imaginations! 


	22. It begins

Ron opened his eyes. "We must have fallen asleep." He reached across the bed to stroke Hermione's hair, but only found air. He sat up and looked around. There was no one to be seen. He got up, dressed and quickly walked down the staircase, anxiety growing inside him.  
  
He began to look around the common room when something in the doorway caught his eye.  
  
He began to shake uncontrollably. "No, No, not 'Mione! Not my 'Mione, please no!"  
  
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Ginny laughed. It was such a sweet, melodious sound. Harry was amazed that he had heard it so many times and hadn't noticed how wonderful it was. He was continually amazed at himself, amazed at how he had known her for so long and never noticed how perfect she was.  
  
He slid an arm around her waist.  
  
"Smooth Harry, really smooth." Ginny laughed again. "D'you think we should go back and see Ron and Hermione?"  
  
Harry smiled. "Oh I'm sure they're keeping each other occupied."  
  
Ginny slapped him playfully on the arm. "Don't be so bold! That's my brother you're talking about! Come on, we've been walking out here for ages. My legs are tired and it's beginning to get chilly."  
  
Harry looked scandalised. "So you're not enjoying yourself is that what you're saying?!" he said jokingly.  
  
"Of course not!" Ginny smiled "I love spending time with you! It's just that right now, it'd be nice if we could spend some time together INSIDE." She looked up at Harry pleadingly.  
  
"Dammit, I just can't say no to that face!"  
  
He laughed and pulled her close to him. He bent over her and tilted her face towards his. "Promise me you won't change Gin."  
  
Ginny looked straight into his eyes. "I promise."  
  
He kissed her, differently than he had before. Ginny actually could feel emotion radiating from him. Neither of them ever thought that such feeling was possible. They pulled back, smiled at each other, and walked back to the castle basking in complete and utter happiness.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
"Harry that doesn't justify use of Dungbombs! They're horrible!"  
  
"Yes it does Ginny! You just don't understand the brilliance that is dungbo- "  
  
They both stopped short. The sight that greeted them knocked them both speechless.  
  
The portrait hole was wide open. The fat lady was bound and gagged within her portrait. Inside, Ron was on his knees, shaking and staring at an apparition in the doorway. It was an image made up of what appeared to be green stars. It was a skull with a serpent emerging from the mouth as a tongue.  
  
It was the Dark Mark.  
  
The couple were wide-eyed and pale. Harry was the first to speak. "Voldemort. He-he was here?"  
  
Ron began to shake his head in a disbelieving sort of way. "Don't know-was asleep-but-'Mione."  
  
Ginny gasped. "Hermione? What-"  
  
"She's gone. He took her. I should have done something. I didn't know. I didn't even know she was gone. How could I do that? How could I-" Ron beat the floor with his fist, before breaking down completely.  
  
Harry and Ginny rushed forward but Ron raised his head before they reached him.  
  
He was ashen-faced and there were still tears steaming down his face, but his eyes were hard, and so was his voice.  
  
"She's my 'Mione. She promised me she was. I love her Harry."  
  
Harry nodded. "I know mate, I know."  
  
Ron stared, unblinking, at the fading Dark Mark.  
  
"I'll get her back. I have to." 


	23. An unexpected aid

Severus Snape sat in his office. A scowl shrouded his features, which was usual whenever he was confronted with one of his most hated tasks. Tonight, he was marking O.W.L. practice papers.  
  
"Why do they need to take exams?" he muttered to himself. "They should just be released into a pen of dragons. If they've learnt enough, they'd be fine."  
  
Of course he didn't mean it. He was human after all. He just couldn't bear to see Neville Longbottom massacre another question about shrinking potions.  
  
"Why does that boy keep tryi-"  
  
Snape was immediately silenced by a searing pain in his left forearm.  
  
He snatched back the sleeve of his robes to reveal the Dark Mark, the constant reminder of his days as a Death Eater. Since the previous summer, the Mark had become and remained a charcoal black, a sign that Lord Voldemort was again at large. Now, however it was glowing a brilliant white, clearly visible against his sallow skin. He could feel it, scorching the flesh of his arm.  
  
"Here? A Death Eater? How could? - Of course, of course Dumbledore's left-a diversion-but why?" Realisation hit him like a ton of bricks.  
  
"Potter."  
  
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"Ron, how do we know where to find him? I mean You-Know-Who would be really good at hiding himself, wouldn't he?" Ginny looked at Harry, silently pleading with him to agree.  
  
"Y-yeah, Ron. I mean, I had no idea where I was when I saw him last year. He only lets you find him if he wants you to."  
  
Ron stared at Harry, steely eyed. "But he does."  
  
Ginny and Harry both started.  
  
Ron began to pace the room. "He must. 'Mione's of no consequence to him Harry. He wants you, he always has, she's just bait." Ron's voice was bitter.  
  
"You've gained a huge amount of insight Weasley." A familiar voice came from the portrait hole, which in all of the excitement had been left open.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Ron was obviously not in the form to deal with anything he expected from Snape at that moment. It was just as well that he was about to say what none of them expected.  
  
"You will address me as Professor Snape, Weasley, as you are required to." Snape cast his eyes around the room. "He's taken Granger, hasn't he?"  
  
The three teenagers looked at him with ill-disguised astonishment.  
  
"There is no time for any explanation. Professor Dumbledore is not here, he was called away by the Ministry. I however, am in a position to deal with it."  
  
He looked at them and saw the huge level of distrust that they were surveying him with.  
  
"I don't like this any more than you three. And you can all be rest assured that when this has been resolved we will revert to our previous relationship. However, I will not stand idly by and let my class' average dragged down by Granger's disappearance, nor will I let the Dark Lord gain power by allowing you three to play into his hands. I will waste no more time. I merely urge you to stay here and channel your energies into something constructive. Perhaps studying for your Potions O.W.L." He gave Ron a particularly pointed look, turned and swept out of the room.  
  
Ron flew into a blind rage the moment Snape's footsteps had died away.  
  
"There's no way! He hates Hermione! He hates all of us! As if we'd believe him. He's probably in on it with You-Know-Who! I won't let him! He'll hurt her!" Ron began to run down the corridor after Snape, his fists clenched as if prepared for a scuffle.  
  
Harry held Ron back. "Ron. Ron! Listen to me! Ginny close the portrait, quickly!"  
  
Ginny did as she was told. Ron threw Harry off and swung at him. He was so blinded by rage Harry ducked easily, and grabbed both of Ron's wrists.  
  
"Ron, listen to me. Snape isn't in on this with You-now-Who. He can't be. He's not a Death Eater anymore, I'm sure of it. When Voldemort is concerned, he seems to actually recognise justice. He's telling the truth Ron."  
  
Ron looked at Harry, looking desperate to try and hit him again.  
  
"I don't like him any more than you do. But he's telling the truth. And if we're gonna find out where to find Hermione we have to follow him."  
  
An actual glimmer of hope was visible in Ron's eyes. "You're not just gonna sit here and do nothing?"  
  
Harry shot Ron a withering look. "O.W.L. practice papers? Give me some credit Ron." 


	24. The rescue begins

A/N: Yeah I know, kinda short. Fine kinda really short! I'm sorry!  
  
------------------------------  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this, Ginny? It's going to be dangerous." Harry's eyes were full of concern.  
  
Ginny was too busy peering into Snape's office to look at him. He had left the door slightly open in his haste.  
  
"Oh so it's okay for you two to go and help Hermione. I can't go because I'm just a little girl. Is that what you're saying??" Ginny looked up at Harry, her eyes flashing.  
  
"No! Of course not. I just don't want you to get hurt. I wouldn't forgive myself."  
  
Ginny melted at these words. She kissed Harry gently. "Don't worry, I can look after myself."  
  
They heard Ron's voice behind them. "If you two are quite finished, could you listen to what's going on in there Ginny? If we're going to do something, we have to have some idea of where we're going in the first place."  
  
Ginny immediately returned to her post. She strained her ears to hear what Snape was muttering to himself.  
  
"Two miles north of Bristol, the Riddle House," were the last words Snape uttered before Dissapperating.  
  
Ginny turned around. "He was talking about somewhere two miles north of Bristol, someplace called the Riddle House."  
  
Harry turned to Ron, exasperated. "And how do we get to Bristol?"  
  
Ron began pacing yet again. Suddenly, his face lit up. Without saying a word he broke into a run for the grounds. Harry and Ginny gave each other one swift look and took off behind him.  
  
Down to the Entrance Hall, past the lake, past Hagrid's cabin, to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.  
  
Ron began to mutter under his breath. "It has to know. It's here somewhere. It has to know we need it. Come on, where is it?"  
  
Harry and Ginny shot each other quizzical and yet concerned looks. Had Ron finally buckled under the shock and pressure?  
  
Suddenly, a blazing white light no more than ten feet away answered ant questions they had. The light drew nearer, and as it did so, it seemed to separate into two separate orbs. Finally it dawned on them what Ron had been looking for.  
  
"Good car!" Ron exclaimed bounding towards the battered Ford Anglia. "You always know when we need you! Can you take us to Bristol?"  
  
The car seemed to bounce on its suspension in a bizarre kind of agreement.  
  
Ron turned to his companions. "Come on, hop in!"  
  
Harry turned to Ginny. "Well, we've seen stranger things, haven't we?" 


	25. He tried

"Why?" Hermione heard a voice come from nowhere. She looked around her, but could only see darkness.  
  
"Why?" the voice came again. Hermione swung around, grasping air, desperate to find who was tormenting her. But in her desperation she lost her footing. She was falling.  
  
The voice taunted her through the black enveloping her. "Why are you here? You mean nothing, why give you life? There is no point to you being here. You could never have been happy, never. How could you be? For there is no purpose in what life you have led. No purpose."  
  
Hermione dropped down and down, flailing helplessly, despair filling her completely. She would never stop falling, nor would her despair ever leave her.  
  
------------------------------------  
  
Lord Voldemort stood in the drawing room of the Riddle House. The house he had regained his strength in, the house which he had masked from peering Muggle eyes, the house in which he would finally have his revenge on the one that reduced him to a mere fraction of the being he had once been.  
  
"Filthy Mudblood." He looked on as Hermione writhed in agony and utter despair on the floor, four Dementors of Azkaban circling her. She was muttering to herself, as if in her sleep "Never happy, worthless, never, never, never-"  
  
Suddenly Voldemort's disgust at the sight of Hermione's agony was interrupted. Interrupted by the entry of a ten-foot long snake.  
  
"Well, Nagini." Voldemort greeted his pet and lookout in a low hiss. "Have you any news for me? Has that pitiful boy come to rescue his dear friend?"  
  
The snake replied with a vicious hissing noise. To an outsider it would appear that whatever the snake was referring to caused it great distress.  
  
Voldemort returned to his human tongue. "Interesting." He cast his unearthly eyes around the room. "Wormtail!" he snapped.  
  
A short, balding man with a slightly pointed face and watery blue eyes stumbled out from the shadows.  
  
"Y-yes my Lord?"  
  
Voldemort surveyed him with the same disgust he had shown when looking at Hermione. "Take one of the Dementors. Go down to the hall at the foot of the stairs. It seems we have a visitor."  
  
Shuddering, Wormtail led one of the Dementors down the stairs and into the entrance hall of the house. He stopped short when he saw who was skulking around there.  
  
"Pettigrew, this is an interesting development," came the glib, oily voice from the foot of the stairs. "So were you and Black in on this together?"  
  
Wormtail replied in a quivering voice. "Th-that's not important Snape. H- have you come to beg forgiveness of your former master?"  
  
Snape looked at Pettigrew through narrowed eyes. "Do not imply that I am in any way as weak-minded as you."  
  
Wormtail raised his head, as if trying to inspire confidence in himself.  
  
"Well then y-you will suffer the consequences."  
  
The Dementor advanced upon Snape, who nearly fainted as it grasped his arm.  
  
------------------------------------  
  
"Ah, Severus. It has been a while, has it not?" Voldemort saw Snape's eyes flicker in Hermione's direction.  
  
He clicked his tongue in disapproval. "Severus, I expected better of you. Even if you were going to renounce the old ways, I thought that at least you would have retained some of my teachings. Yet I see that that Muggle loving Albus Dumbledore has had an adverse effect on you. I have no use for a former Death Eater, with sympathy for Mudbloods."  
  
Snape began to raise his wand, but as if reading his thoughts, voldemort summoned the wand to him, just as Snape's arm began to move.  
  
He shook his head. "Now, now Severus, you don't think that I cannot still sense the thoughts that were once so closely entwined with my own? My, my, you have been gone for some time, haven't you?"  
  
For the first time that night, Snape felt fear take hold of him. He watched as three of the Dementors advanced on him, one remaining in place to allow Hermione to continue suffering. In an instant there was a Dementor on either side of him, grasping his arms. One was standing in front of him, removing its hood. With a horror unequalled by anything he had ever experienced, Snape realised what was about to happen, and just how incredibly hopeless his situation was. 


	26. Determination

Harry glanced about the darkened, deserted grounds. "This is it! This is the place!" Of course he recognised it, he saw it in his sleep often enough.  
  
Ron still had not lost his steely gaze or his unswerving dtermination. His cold stare fell upon the mansion behind them. "That must be it." he turned to the car. "Wait here," he commanded. "We won't be long."  
  
As they made their way noiselessly up to the house, Harry realised that there was no hesitation on Ron's part whatsoever. He seemed to have no fear. It struck him just how deep his feelings for Hermione had run. Of course, he understood completely. He grasped Ginny's hand tightly as he considered for a moment what he would do had it been Ginny that had been taken.  
  
In those last few moments before their confrontation, Harry mentally saluted Ron for his strength, and for one fleeting second wondered just what the pair of them had been doing in the common room, all alone.  
  
------------------------------------------  
  
Hermione felt her agony subside somewhat. It was as if a tormentor had subsided, sat down to rest. Suddenly, the black abyss she had been tumbling through vanished. The room around her slowly came into focus. She saw the Dementor standing with its back to her and the highly trained logical section of her brain immediately told her that the Dementor had been the tormentor.  
  
She moved her head slowly, painfully to the other side of the room, where she could hear voices. Had she been able, she would have let out an audible gasp at the sight that awaited her.  
  
Three Dementors were standing around someone. Someone she knew. Her eyes widened. It was Professor Snape. He was being held down by the Dementors, and one of them was lowering its hood. With a surge of horror she realised what was about to happen.  
  
Then her eyes fell upon a third figure, standing looking at the Dementors with a pronounced expression of glee writed all over his unearthly face. Hermione instantly knew who this person was. She also knew that she had to do something. She had to help, she had to escape. But how? It was hopeless.  
  
"Hermione, quick, think of something happy." She heard Harry's voice from the depths of her memory. A picture flashed into her head. It was Harry, fending off Dementors to save her and himself. She remebered the spell. She just had to think of something happy.  
  
"You've never been happy. You're worthless." The tormenting voice came back to her again, but it was much fainter, as if a great distance away. Suddenly a new voice entered her mind. After a moment she recognised it.  
  
"R-Rn-Ron?" she whispered.  
  
"I love you 'Mione." Suddenly she remembered. It was the last thing she could remember before waking up in this place. She had been with Ron. She remembered the unabated joy of hearing him say he loved her, the giddy thrill of their escapades in the dormitory, the quiet contentment of falling asleep beside him. The memory filled her with a fleeting moment of happiness. It was now or never. She grasped the wand that Voldemort had been too cocky to take from her and took a deep breath.  
  
------------------------------------------  
  
"Oh no! Harry, Ron they're doing something to Professor Snape1" Ginny's whisper was filled with horror. Harry and Ron hurried as quietly as they could up the remaining stairs.  
  
"Dementors." Harry's expression was grim. He turned to Ron and Ginny. "Remember that spell I told you about in third year?"  
  
The two of them nodded, both of them agreeing silently with Harry that there was no other course of action.  
  
"It's the only chance we've got." Ron's voice softened a little. He was already allowing cherished memories to flood into his conscious mind.  
  
Ginny took Harry's hand, a terrified and yet determined look in her eyes. Even now Harry thought how beautiful she was, her face set, her head high. He returned his mind to the task at hand.  
  
Each member of the trio filled their mind with memories of the love they held so dearly. As one they raised their wands to the door left agar. 


	27. Return to square one

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Several voices cried at once. Voldemort swung around in alarm. The silver light filling the room momentarily blinded him. Then, with a pang of fear he realised what they were.  
  
The door behind him had burst open. Three teenagers stood behind it.  
  
"Harry Potter?" Voldemort could not believe that he had not sensed his presence, that he had been too taken up with his revenge on Severus Snape.  
  
From Harry's wand had issued a huge silver stag, which charged at the Dementors, forcing them to retreat.  
  
Behind it ran an enormous silver wolf that had materialised from Ron's wand. It bolted for the Dementors with its fangs bared.  
  
From Ginny's wand had come forth a powerful eagle swooping at the Dementor lowering its hood and saving Professor Snape.  
  
The three teenagers looked upon their collected effort forcing the Dementors back. Suddenly Harry realised something. "The window. Look they're making for the window, and they're taking Snape with them!" They looked on helplessly as the Dementors were driven to the window, visibly preparing themselves for a steep fall.  
  
Without warning, a fourth silver light was visible. A magnificent silver horse ran forward from the other side of the room blocking the window, and any means of escape. Throwing back it's mane, the horse joined the other silvery forms in a circle around all four Dementors. With each step they took the circle tightened. Soon it seemed that they were trying to crush the Dementors, which in a way, was true. The circle tightened further and further until a crunching noise could be heard. All that was left of them was a pile of tattered robes and a pile of ash.  
  
Each Patronus then turned to Voldemort, who still stood in the corner of the room. Within a couple of minutes, his loyal guards had been destroyed, his idiot servant (there was no better description of Wormtail) had fled in terror, and, it seemed, so had Nagini.  
  
Voldemort now surveyed the silver apparitions before him with a kind of apprehension. His eyes widened as the forms not only united, but merged before him, into one single Patronus.  
  
Now he beheld an immense silver Lion. It seemed to take up the entire room. It lunged at him, and as it did, the Dark Lord knew that he was the Dark Lord no more. He felt his body buckle beneath him. He felt his essence rise up in a sort of white cloud. He could feel himself being propelled from the house with the force of the Patronus' attack. He had returned to the start, powerless and friendless, again, all because of Harry Potter. 


	28. She stirs

Hermione's eyes fluttered open. She rolled over, thinking to herself "Just five more minutes."  
  
But then certain memories flooded back into her mind's eye, and she sat bolt upright in the bed. She could remember being on the floor in a room she didn't recognise, being tortured by Voldemort and his Dementors, she could remember Professor Snape being there, it was beginning to get blurry. She could vaguely remember casting a spell, and then everything had gone black.  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember anything else, when she heard a door behind her open. Looking around her she marvelled at the fact that she hadn't even noticed that she was in the Hogwarts hospital wing.  
  
In through the open door came two familiar faces. Both smiled kindly down at her.  
  
"Good morning Miss Granger, how are you feeling?" Professor Dumbledore asked benignly.  
  
"Fine, thank you Professor." Hermione's mind was so full of questions she didn't know where to start.  
  
Just as she was about to pick one of them at random, the second person spoke. "I have no doubt that you have an awful lot of questions Miss Granger, and for that I would like you leave you and Professor Dumbledore alone. However, it is important that I inform you that it is the 14th of June, and the O.W.L. examinations will be commencing in a week's time. As this is too little time for you to study sufficiently for them, it is possible that you can be excluded from them."  
  
Hermione's eyes widened with horror. There was no way that she was going to miss the one thing that she had been practicing for since the moment that she had sat down to her first lesson in Hogwarts.  
  
"P-Professor McGonagall," Hermione managed to steady herself, "There will be no need to do that. I have been studying all year for the O.W.L.s and there should be no reason for my exemption from them."  
  
Professor McGonagall shot a slightly doubtful glance at Professor Dumbledore, who smiled and nodded slightly.  
  
Professor McGonagall turned again to Hermione, smiling even more broadly than before. "Then I shall see I the Transfiguration classroom at his time next week Miss Granger. I hope that your study hitherto does you justice."  
  
Professor McGonagall turned and left the room quietly. As soon as she had done so Professor Dumbledore walked to the side of Hermione's bed. "Could I be so bold as to sit on your bed Miss Granger?"  
  
"Of course Professor!" Hermione assured him, smiling.  
  
Dumbledore smiled gratefully and sat down. "My, my Miss Granger, it seems that you will have no happiness this year."  
  
Hermione nodded grimly, but didn't allow herself to think about it for long. She had much more pressing matters to attend to.  
  
"Professor, what happened? How did I get out of that house? I can remember casting some sort of spell, and that's it. What happened to You-Know-Who? Oh, and is Professor Snape all right? How did-"  
  
Dumbledore held up his hands and Hermione fell silent.  
  
Smiling he said, "I can only answer one question at a time Miss Granger. But luckily I have rather a lot of time on my hands at this particular moment, so all of your questions will be answered in due course."  
  
Hermione nodded and sat up in the bed patiently.  
  
"Well, I believe that I should begin at the beginning. Before you were abducted, I was sent to a false sighting of Voldemort's supporters. A diversion. However, due to his own devices, Professor Snape was able to perceive the presence of a Death Eater in Gryffindor Tower. Upon finding out that you had been abducted he took it upon himself to help you."  
  
Hermione made a mental note to be nice to Snape the next time she saw him. She might have to practice it, for the action would go against every instinct she had.  
  
"Fortunately" Dumbledore went on, "your close friends Harry Potter and Ron and Ginny Weasley, overheard Professor Snape's plan and followed him."  
  
"Breaking about fifty school rules in the process I'll bet." Hermione muttered under her breath.  
  
"Sadly Upon finding you, Professor Snape was almost subjected to the Dementor's Kiss. Had it not been for you and your brave friends, it would have been successful."  
  
"How did we fend them off Professor?" Hermione had been positively dying to know which spell she had used to help in her rescue.  
  
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Each of you performed the same spell. You each summoned a Patronus. The collected power of four of them was enough to defeat both the Dark Lord and his Dementors. You should be very proud of yourself Miss Granger. There have been very few fifteen year old witches that I have ever known that could perform that standard of magic."  
  
Hermione blushed with pride. Then something occurred to her. "Professor, that happened the week after Christmas, didn't it?"  
  
Professor Dumbledore nodded.  
  
Hermione cocked her head to one side in her puzzlement. "But then, how can it be the 14th of June? I only just woke up! I couldn't have been asleep for that-"  
  
Hermione noticed the saddened sort of look in Dumbledore's eyes. "Such is the power of the Dementors Hermione. The effect of so many of them on a girl so young as yourself was catastrophic. You were immediately admitted to St. Mungo's, where they put you in an enchanted sleep. It was the only way for you to recover completely. You must understand, if we had not, you would now only be a tired shell of your former self." Dumbledore looked out of the window to the climbing sun. "But my, it did take a toll on those close to you. Harry and Ginny were so very upset, but they had each other to turn to for comfort. The whole experience has made them very close."  
  
Hermione allowed herself a small smile. Dumbledore continued. "But Ron Weasley. It seemed that every spare minute he had he was up here with you. He brought his books most of the time. He said that you would have wanted him to." Dumbledore gave Hermione a particularly piercing stare. "He cares for you a great deal Hermione. I do sincerely hope that such strong affections are returned."  
  
Hermione returned Dumbledore's gaze, her eyes shining with tears. "They are returned tenfold Professor."  
  
Dumbledore rose and smiled down at Hermione one last time. "Then let me waste no time in telling him that you are waiting." 


	29. At long last

"Ron's getting worse." Ginny felt ready to cry.  
  
Harry put his arms around her and held her small form close to him. "It'll be okay Gin. He'll pull through. Just like Hermione will. This will all be over soon. And then everything will be back the way it was."  
  
Ginny looked up at Harry's face, her eyes shining with admiration.  
  
"You're always so sure of everything Harry. I wish I could be like that. How do you do it?"  
  
"Because I have to. We all do. I won't let myself be unhappy and I won't let you be either."  
  
Ginny allowed herself a small smile.  
  
"That's the idea! Only I'm going for a broader version." Harry put on the joking voice he always used whenever trying to cheer Ginny up. "Gin if you don't do it of your own free will, I'm gonna have to make you do it."  
  
Ginny took a step back from him and put her hands on her hips. "What are you gonna do? Tickle me?"  
  
"Not a bad idea!" Harry lunged at her, pulling her onto his lap. He knew just where Ginny was most tender and ticklish, and within minutes he had her screaming with laughter.  
  
"Stop-stop-I-give-up!" Ginny tried desperately to catch her breath.  
  
"Just don't ever be miserable again, and I won't have to resort to such low- down methods!"  
  
"Well I can't promise anything, but I'll try" Ginny smiled as she leant in to kiss him.  
  
"Well, that'll just have to do." Harry murmured just before their lips met.  
  
He wound his arms around Ginny's waist and held her close to him. She was so tiny and gentle. Harry felt he just had to protect her, especially after everything that had happened. He couldn't let anything happen to her.  
  
He was in love.  
  
--------------------------------------  
  
Ron looked over his O.W.L. practice papers. He was muttering to himself. "She'll be so proud of me when she sees all this. She would have wanted me to do this for her. It is, it's all for her, all for 'Mione."  
  
He was suddenly interrupted by a stern voice. He recognised it as Professor McGonagall. "Weasley!"  
  
Ron stood up. "Yes Professor?"  
  
"Go to the hospital wing. Professor Dumbledore has something he wishes to say to you."  
  
Ron was overcome with a sort of numbness. He felt his legs carry him out of the common room and over to the hospital wing, but was barely conscious of it.  
  
"Is it bad news? It couldn't be bad news. No, it couldn't be. 'Mione's okay, she has to be."  
  
Ron looked up as he entered the Hospital wing. Professor Dumbledore stood up and motioned at the ward behind him.  
  
"I believe you will find someone rather anxious to speak with you in here Mr Weasley. I shall leave the two of you to it, if you don't mind, I have some rather pressing matters to attend to."  
  
Ron heard the door shut behind him, but didn't even think to thank the Professor, or wish him goodbye. Instead he stared at the ward, realising that this was the moment that he had been waiting for for the past five months. 


	30. Reunited

"Ron!" Hermione's eyes glowed with happiness.  
  
Ron walked slowly towards her bed, almost not believing it was her. He reached out, touched her face, wiped away a tiny tear that was trickling down her cheek, ran his fingers through her hair. Suddenly his face lit up with emotion. " 'Mione, it's you! And youre okay, you're okay. You're back!"  
  
Ron knelt down beside her bed just about crying with joy. He felt so full of emotion he was fit to burst.  
  
Hermione shook him gently on the shoulder. "Ron, Ron?" she said gently. "Ron, come here. Why don't you lie down? Come here. You look absolutely exhausted. What have you been doing?"  
  
"I've been studying for the O.W.L.s. While you were up here I took it upon myself to fill that empty space in the library." Ron smiled at her as he climbed into the hospital bed beside her.  
  
"That was so sweet of you!" Hermione laughed. She let out a small yelp.  
  
Ron sat up, his eyes wide. "What's wrong? Are you hurt? Did I do something wrong?"  
  
"No nothing like that. Its just your feet are cold," she told him sheepishly.  
  
Ron laughed. It was the first time he had laughed like that in months. It was a huge relief. He wrapped his arms around Hermione and held her close to him. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Even though she had recovered, she still felt rather drained.  
  
"For a while I didn't know if you were going to be okay 'Mione" he whispered into her hair. "I knew that you weren't going to go.away. But I didn't know if you would be able to recover, if you wouldn't be able to feel things properly. Do you know what I mean?"  
  
Hermione looked up at him. "You didn't know if I could love you? If I could feel that again?"  
  
Ron nodded, his eyes cast down. "But-but you're okay. I can see it. I can see it in your eyes, in your smile. But it wouldn't have mattered. I promised myself. I promised you too. When you were lying here, I'd come and talk to you. And every single time I did, I promised that I wouldn't go anywhere, that I'd be here when you woke up, that I'd love you no matter what, even if you couldn't love me back."  
  
Hermione reached up and laid a trembling hand on his cheek. "Ron, that's the most wonderful, most beautiful thing that anyone has ever done for me. You're so-so-there isn't a word for what you are. There isn't a word good enough."  
  
Ron took Hermione's hand in his, and laid it over his heart. "Do you feel that 'Mione?" Hermione nodded. Ron's heart was thumping as if it wanted to escape the flesh that imprisoned it.  
  
"I love you 'Mione. I could never leave you like that. I'd waste away without you."  
  
Tears of joy began to escape Hermione's eyes. "I love you too Ron. I love you more than anything else in the world."  
  
Hermione buried her face in Ron's robes and cried with joy. It hurt Ron physically to see her cry so, but he knew that they were tears of joy, and the only real way that she could express her joy.  
  
So they lay there for close to an hour, Hermione crying and Ron holding her, cradling her head against his chest.  
  
Hermione took a steadying breath and raised her head. "I'm so sorry Ron. I didn't mean to be like that."  
  
Ron shook his head and smiled down at her. "It's okay. You're happy. That's all that matters." Ron put a finger underneath Hermione's chin and tilted her face up towards his own.  
  
"You're so beautiful." He placed his other hand gently on her cheek. "I always thought that you looked so pretty when you were asleep over the past few months. Really peaceful. But I'd forgotten how lovely your eyes looked when you're happy. I'd forgotten how your face lights up when you smile. You're the most beautiful girl I've ever known. Not just outside. You're so kind, and so clever, and so, o brave. I saw you cast that spell when you were half driven insane by the Dementors. 'Mione, I've never seen strength like that."  
  
It was all that Hermione could do not to start crying again. "Oh Ron. I'm so lucky to have someone like you. I feel like nobody thinks of me the way you do, and nobody understands me the way you do. I wish I could find all of the words to tell you what you mean to me, like you can. But I can't do it. They don't write books about this kind of thing either. And I'm no good at things that they don't have books for. But I can say that you mean more to me than anyone or anything else. And you're-just-perfect. I can't think of a better word. It's the only word that fits you."  
  
She kissed him lightly on the lips and whispered in his ear. "I love you."  
  
Ron, not wishing to spoil the wonderful moment that they had created whispered back, "I love you too."  
  
He pushed away Hermione's hair from her eyes and kissed her, softly at first, still remembering her distress after what Draco had done to her. But soon, she pulled on the collar of his robes, pulling him closer to her.  
  
At that moment she wanted nothing more than Ron's comforting weight holding her down and the feeling of his warm lips on hers. 


	31. Chapter the last

It's needless to say that Hermione got top marks in her O.W.L.s. However it is neseccary to tell you that Ron, due to his diligent studying, also got top marks in his O.W.L.s, much to the delight of his dear mother. Harry also did exceptionally well. Well, when a saucy redhead (Ginny, not Ron) asks you to study you're not very well going to refuse are you?  
  
On the final day before leaving for the summer holidays, the four friends were sitting by the lake, basking in the sunlight. Harry and Ginny were lying on their backs. Harry had his arm around her, and Ginny's head was resting on Harry's chest.  
  
Ron and Hermione were sitting nearby, revisiting a scene that took place between them almost a year previously. Ron was sitting down with Hermione's head in his lap. He was playing with her hair, while Hermione lay there with her eyes closed quietly enjoying the feeling of Ron's fingers in her hair.  
  
"It's been a strange year hasn't it?" Harry broke the contented silence.  
  
"Strange doesn't cover it!" Ron looked at Harry in mock outrage.  
  
"But it all worked out didn't it?" Ginny half sat up. "I mean we're all happy now aren't we?"  
  
"Don't ask stupid questions Ginny," Ron murmured while closely examining several strands of Hermione's hair.  
  
"Don't talk to my girlfriend like that!" Harry propped himself up on his elbows, "Yes we are all happy Gin. What a wonderfully insightful thing to say."  
  
Ginny giggled. "Thank you Harry, I'm glad SOMEONE appreciates my wit and wisdom." She gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek to show her true appreciation.  
  
"Did you ever notice," Hermione said with a slightly puzzled look on her face, "That the little things in life always seem to matter more than the huge serious things."  
  
Her three friends frowned at her. "Would you like to elaborate on that a little 'Mione?" Ron decided to voice what each of them was thinking.  
  
"Okay, just pretend for a sec, that this is just one big story. Just pretend that some very talented, pretty Irish girl decided one day to write a story to deal with her boyfriend breaking up with her. Which do you think would be more important for her to accomplish in this story, something kinda everyday like pairing us all up, or something huge like us defeating the most evil person alive?"  
  
Harry gave her a slightly quizzical look, but answered all the same. "Well since it's a girl, and she's dealing with her ex-boyfriend being a total and complete ass, the little things in the story would probably be more important."  
  
Ginny laughed. "Then she's have to call the story something like 'The big little things'!"  
  
Ron laughed heartily. "Ah, come on Ginny, nobody would use a title THAT bad."  
  
And the four friends laughed at the little piece of nonsense until the sun sank behind the clouds on that one happy, carefree day.  
  
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A/N: Well that's it folks! Hope you enjoyed my attempt at writing something good.  
  
I wanna thank everyone again that reviewed, in particular, Tikal, who was reviewing from the start, Amber who began in the middle and worked her way back! And that nice Ali Simmons and wmlaw who were just always there.  
  
Thanks to everyone else too, you're all beautiful!  
  
Go raibh mille maith agaibh! 


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